1. Fostering Language and Literacy through Science
Faith Polk, PhD.
October 4, 2014
Stan and Carol Little ECE Conference

2. Outcomes Describe science content and processes for young children
Review key concepts in language and literacy development
Demonstrate the ways science is an effective vehicle for language and literacy learning
2 minutes to briefly review outcomes

3. Almost all young children in almost all environments ‘do science’ most of the time; they experience the world around them and develop theories about how that world works (Conezio & French, 2003, p. 5).
Think- Pair- Share
Young children bring a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world. Think about the children in your classroom or at your center. What are some of the things the children say or do that demonstrate this “sense of wonder and curiosity”
Popcorn Share
What did you notice about the content of their curiosity? What did you notice about the ways they express this curiosity?
Facilitator may chart out 3-5 responses, and segue. Draw attention to the use of language (complexity, vocabulary, etc) and the simplicity of the content (everyday phenomena).
Science is NOT about making a volcano on Friday afternoon.

4. What is Science For Young Children?
Exploring and discovering the everyday world that surrounds them
Developing enduring mental representations of their experiences
Using language to translate and share their understandings
For young children, science is finding out about the everyday world that surrounds them. They are exploring how this world works. From their experiences, long lasting mental representations emerge. Teachers can take advantage of children’s natural curiosity….
We can provide them with the scaffolding to develop the vocabulary and inquiry skills that enable young children to describe these mental representations and develop deeper understandings of their world.

5. Ask and Reflect Plan and Predict Act and Observe Report And Reflect
Scientific Reasoning
Ask and
Reflect
Plan and
Predict
Act and
Observe
Report
And Reflect
Scientific reasoning provides opportunities for language-rich interactions. Centered around meaningful experiences for young children and extended with intentional literacy-based activities, science seems to be a logical content area through which to integrate instruction.
Ask and reflect….I wonder what would happen if? I wonder why?—
Plan and predict—Determine what you want to know and how you will glean more information. Develop a hypothesis based on what you know.
Act and observe—Describe what happened, include the match between the prediction and findings.
Report and reflect—Tell someone what happened, dictate text, draw a graph, chart etc…write book.
Explicitly connect the Scientific Reasoning process to the Class and Adult KWHL forms
To demonstrate how naturally we are drawn into scientific reasoning and related language and literacy outcomes., participants will engage in the process of inquiry.
Note: This cycle was developed by Conezio & French as part of the ScienceStart! Curriculum. More information can be found in Conezio, K. and French, L. (2003). Science in the preschool classroom: Capitalizing on children’s fascination with the everyday world to foster language and literacy development. In D. Koralek and L.J. Colker (Ed.). Spotlight on Young Children and Science (pp. 4-15). Washington DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

6. Ask and Reflect Plan and Predict Act and Observe Report And Reflect
Scientific Reasoning
Ask and
Reflect
Plan and
Predict
Act and
Observe
Report
And Reflect
The inquiry cycle begins with questions such as “I wonder what would happen if…? Or “I wonder why….?”
In the scope of this session, we can only engage in an abbreviated inquiry, as the bigger questions (noted above) would require a significant amount of time to explore and investigate. Therefore, our inquiry process will only demonstrate a small portion of what our children’s actual inquiries can yield.

7. I Wonder …? What Do I Know About It? Ask Reflect
On each table place a bag containing a “secret item”. The facilitator may choose to use the same or different items at each table. When time is limited, using one item is recommended.
What Do I Know About It?

8. Ask and Reflect Open the bag on your table
List what you know about the contents
Develop questions about the contents
Prepare to share with the large group
Exploration (1-3 minutes)
Participants use this time to open their bags and describe the item inside. One participant at each table should serve as the recorder. He/she will use the Adult KWHL Form to record what the group knows about the bag’s contents.
Exploration Debrief (5 minutes)
Each group shares its knowledge about the item. Groups should not duplicate findings. On a large KWHL poster, the facilitator records each what each group knows about the item.

9. Ask and Reflect Plan and Predict Act and Observe Report And Reflect
Scientific Reasoning
Ask and
Reflect
Plan and
Predict
Act and
Observe
Report
And Reflect
Plan and Predict
As adults, we naturally connect our questions to what we already know about something. Then, we create a plan to address the question. Usually, this planning is done internally. For children to learn about planning they need to see and hear other people planning. Therefore, we want to model the planning process.
During planning, we determine how we will obtain more information, and we map out each step in the process. As part of the planning process, we use what we know to predict the outcomes of our explorations. Often, we first formulate a hypothesis, and then plan the steps in testing the hypothesis.

10. What Do I Think Will Happen?
What Do I Want to Know?
Plan
Predict
Planning and Predicting
Planning and Predicting may not occur in this order. For example, as adults, we tend to use the information to form hypotheses about scientific phenomena. Subsequent to formulating the hypothesis, we will (1) decide what we need to know to test the hypothesis; (2) how we will get the information; and (3) create a plan for testing the hypothesis.
Next Slide
Provide table groups with 5-7 minutes to do the tasks below. Be sure to tell participants that they may complete these tasks in the order that feels most natural to them.
Create a list of what you want to know about the bag’s contents
Develop a plan for obtaining that information
Develop a hypothesis or prediction about the bag’s contents
What Do I Think Will Happen?

11. Plan and Predict
Create a list of what you want to know about the bag’s contents
Develop a plan for obtaining that information
Develop a hypothesis or prediction about the bag’s contents
Provide table groups with 5-7 minutes to do the tasks below. Be sure to tell participants that they may complete these tasks in the order that feels most natural to them.
Create a list of what you want to know about the bag’s contents
Develop a plan for obtaining that information
Develop a hypothesis or prediction about the bag’s contents

12. Ask and Reflect Plan and Predict Act and Observe Report And Reflect
Scientific Reasoning
Ask and
Reflect
Plan and
Predict
Act and
Observe
Report
And Reflect
Act and Observe
Most prepackaged science activities focus on the “Act and Observe” part of the reasoning process. This is the “fun” part—the volcanoes on Friday.

13. Act
Observe
Each table should carry out its plan and observe the results. It is important that each table think about the processes they use and the match and/or mismatch between their hypotheses and findings.

14. Ask and Reflect Plan and Predict Act and Observe Report And Reflect
Scientific Reasoning
Ask and
Reflect
Plan and
Predict
Act and
Observe
Report
And Reflect
Report and Reflect
Sharing observations and findings is a natural integration for language and literacy activities. There are a plethora of ways to report findings. Some examples include, but are not limited to, the following:
Dictated text (individual or group)
Charts
Graphs
Journals or Logs
Class, small group or individual books
Skits
Songs
Reflections require learners to revisit and process the events pertaining to the inquiry. Often reflections generate new questions, and the process repeats itself.

15. Create a Report Report Reflect Report and Reflect (15- 17 minutes)
In table groups, participants are to create a product to report their findings. Following the development, each table will have a maximum of 3 minutes to share its report. Facilitator should encourage tables to select different methodologies of reporting.
Facilitator Note: If time is a concern, assign each table a method of reporting. Consider using the following reporting methods: Chart, Graph, Small Group Book, Journal/Log, Language Experience Approach (dictated text with picture), and/or group developed song or skit.
Reflect

16. Ask and Reflect Plan and Predict Act and Observe Report And Reflect
Scientific Reasoning
Ask and
Reflect
Plan and
Predict
Act and
Observe
Report
And Reflect
Scientific reasoning provides opportunities for language-rich interactions. Centered around meaningful experiences for young children and extended with intentional literacy-based activities, science seems to be a logical content area through which to integrate instruction.
Ask and reflect….I wonder what would happen if? I wonder why?—
Plan and predict—
Act and observe—describe what happened, describing the match between the prediction and findings
Report and reflect—tell some, dictate text, draw a graph, chart etc…write book

17. Emergent Literacy Begins prior to learning to read
Includes a set of experiences and skills that are developmental precursors
Develops through interactions involving language and print
The use of science as a vehicle to foster language and literacy development is framed by a theory of emergent literacy. In this theoretical framework, from birth, children are believed to be in the process of becoming literate. Children develop skills that are developmental precursors for conventional literacy through experiences and interactions involving language and print.

18. Emergent Literacy Skills
Oral Language
Phonological Awareness
Print Knowledge
Print Motivation

19. Phonological Awareness
Sensitivity to and ability to manipulate sounds in words independent of meaning
Developmental Progression: Word, Syllable, Onset-Rime, Phoneme
Related closely to decoding ability
Draw connections between activities around science content that involve phonological awareness.

20. Print Knowledge Letter Names Letter Sounds Print carries meaning
Print Knowledge is an umbrella term that includes knowledge about print and letters

21. Print Motivation Reading is valuable Reading is enjoyable
Reading is purposeful

22. Literacy Mathematics Science Language(s)
There will always be some debate about what content should be taught in preschool. Young children are naturally curious and interested in the world around them. By using intentional teaching, we can use children’s curiosity to our advantage. By creating systematic content defined goals, dedicating time and providing a specific sequence of activities teaching and learning becomes intentional.
“Language and literacy learning must be about something” (Conezio & French, 2003, p. 9).
Language(s) is at the center of any content instruction. Well planned and implemented science experiences can provide an natural environment for intentional language and literacy teaching and learning.
Science

23. (California Department of Education, 2000, p. 127).
Content areas offer specific ways to investigate the world and communicate their discoveries to others
(California Department of Education, 2000, p. 127).
A rich, seamlessly integrated collection of program routines, learning activities, free play and projects, each encompassing many domains of development…

24. (National Research Council, 2001, p. 308)
Eager to Learn
Teaching and learning will be most effective if they engage and build on children’s existing understandings
Key concepts in each domain must be linked with information and skill acquisition
Metacognitive skill development allows children to solve problems more effectively
(National Research Council, 2001, p. 308)

25. From the Field Non-fiction books provide a foundation for conversation
Prior knowledge/experience and new observations and activities support vocabulary growth
Read-alouds and discussion foster receptive language
Engaging in scaffolded scientific reasoning builds expressive language
(Conezio & French, 2003, p. 7)
The above observations made by Head Start teachers who used the Science Start! Curriculum. For more information, read the article in your packet.

26. CA Preschool Learning Foundations Strands
Scientific Inquiry
Observation & Investigation
Documentation & Communication
Physical Science
Properties & Characteristics
Changes
Life Science
Earth Science