Reinventing Stem in Early Childhood Education: A Constructivist Approach - Paperback

by Eugene Geist (Author)

Teaching STEM to young children is about more than helping them learn their numbers and facts. It is an important and complex process that, to be effective, should honor the way children's brains are developing. This book outlines how early childhood educators can best support young children's STEM journeys as children naturally take in information about their environment, synthesize it, and grow in the process. This comprehensive text details different theories of learning; research on how young brains develop; practical information on preparing your environment and yourself for teaching STEM to children; guidance for supporting diverse populations of students; and developmental guidelines, sample standards, resources, and lesson plans. Organized chronologically, the book connects relevant STEM topics with each developmental age range and outlines common school standards for each grade. Reinventing STEM in Early Childhood Education is meant to be a core text for preservice teachers in math and science methods courses and is also important reading for teacher educators and professional development programs.

Author Biography

Eugene Geist, Ph.D., is the Judith Walker Gibbs Endowed Professor of Early Childhood Education at the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education at Louisiana State University. He is also an active researcher with a long record of publications. His major research focus is how young children (birth to 3rd grade) learn and think mathematically and how integrated curriculum and child-centered approaches can be used to foster cognitive growth and understanding in children from birth through age 8 and beyond.