As teachers, our role is to observe, know, and understand each child’s emerging knowledge and skills and develop a trusting partnership with families. We do this by:

Providing an environment rich in hands-on experiences based on our knowledge of each child
Provoking questions and problem solving
Helping children investigate what the world is made of and how it works

Our daily interactions with children need to reflect our observations about the children: their personalities, interests, skills, and emerging ideas. Our challenge is to turn what we know about children into relevant and meaningful discussions and experiences that allow children to explore their new ideas and skills. These observations in a science-focused homebase lead to discussions that are part of the ordinary events of the day.

The questions below facilitate discussion and understanding; they do not merely check for understanding of a topic or for a correct answer.

Encouraging Children to Problem Solve

"What would happen if we pour water into the hole?"
"What else might happen?"
“Can you continue to make the water thicker?"
"What happens when the sun shines on the table? Why?”

By asking children these type of questions and openly discussing their thoughts, children become comfortable and confident with scientific discoveries in a very natural and emergent way. They become problem solvers instead of information dispensers.

Science Is More about Questions than Answers
Science is everywhere. Conversations and discussions that are part of the ordinary events of the day lead to investigation. For example, shadows and sunlight, water melting or freezing, smells and sounds, plants and sticky pastes are all examples of science around us waiting to be explored.

An environment rich in exploration and discovery includes the search for answers, not just giving answers. Children ask questions all the time, and we ask them questions in return. The simple question, “What do you think?” usually leads to more exploration and more questions.

As children reach preschool age, we are promoting science when we help children:

Be systematic in their investigations and follow through
Explore new related questions
Help children think and reason in scientific terms
"Where can we find the answer?"
"Why do you think that will happen?"
"Does that always work?"
"Can you draw a picture or tell me what happened?"

Remember, we don’t have to have all the answers (Why does popcorn pop? What do worms do in winter?). Our job is to work with children to find the answers together.