1st Edition

Starting Inquiry-based Science in the Early Years Look, talk, think and do

By Sue Dale Tunnicliffe Copyright 2016
    174 Pages 46 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    174 Pages 46 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    Young children are intuitive scientists. This book builds on their inherent curiosity and problem solving as they move forward in their scientific thinking. Science develops from early beginnings and a solid foundation in the early years is essential for their future learning and engagement with the subject. Starting Inquiry Based Science in the Early Years shows you how you can support children’s emerging scientific skills by working with them and scaffolding their inquiries as they experiment, hypothesise and investigate building on their natural curiosity.

    Full of practical advice, it offers a wide range of scientific activities that can be carried out in partnership with young children. Each activity presents a challenge for the child to solve by thinking and talking through their ideas and then carrying out their own investigations. This invaluable guide focuses on helping children to follow their own line of inquiry and supporting them in mastering the skills and vocabulary they need in order to do this. Features include:

    • An explanation of the key skills children need to acquire and practical ideas for developing these;
    • Useful lists of relevant vocabulary and everyday resources;
    • Cue questions to encourage children’s thinking skills;
    • Cross-curricular links to show how the activities support early literacy and mathematics.

    Providing a rich bank of resources for promoting scientific experiences and learning, this highly practical book will help you ensure that the children in your care have the strong foundations they need to become confident, successful scientists in the future.

    1. Introduction
    2. Observations and Actions- Play. Starting Learning Science
    3. Starting science, recording and assessing early investigations
    4. Foundation Skills – Shape, Space and Measure
    5. Ourselves
    6. Living things : Other Animals
    7. Other Living Things: Plants and Fungi
    8. Push, Pulls and Bounces
    9. Changes
    10. Outside

    Biography

    Sue Dale Tunnicliffe is Reader in Science Education at the University College London, Institute of Education, UK.