How to Integrate STEM Learning in Early Childhood

STEM learning doesn’t require special equipment or formal lessons. By intentionally weaving science, technology, engineering, and math into play, daily routines, and exploration, early childhood educators can nurture curiosity and foundational skills from birth to age five.

STEM learning begins with everyday moments. From building with blocks to exploring nature outdoors, young children naturally engage in science, technology, engineering, and math as part of their daily routines. By recognizing and nurturing these moments, educators can intentionally integrate STEM learning from a child’s earliest years.

What is STEM and Why Does it Matter?

It’s been more than two decades since the STEM acronym was officially coined in 2001 by the U.S. National Science Foundation amid concerns that the new century’s high-tech world required a different approach to teaching for America’s children. The abbreviation for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, is used to describe both education and careers in those fields.

*The STEM Garden at CHS Hershey offers hands-on opportunities for children to observe, experiment, and ask questions about the natural world.*

In 2021, there were nearly 10 million workers in STEM occupations, and this total is projected to grow by almost 11% by 2031, over two times faster than the total for all occupations. Despite integrating STEM curricula into schools, there are still concerns that the education system is not producing young people with the skills to take advantage of these roles. US manufacturing, for example, is expected to have 1.9 million unfilled jobs by 2033.

This talent gap is leading some companies to develop long-term initiatives to improve the pipeline of candidates into these careers.

Although many families may associate STEM with teacher-led instruction in computer or advanced mathematical skills, educators in early childhood education can intentionally integrate STEM throughout a young child’s typical routines and daily activities.

STEM Through Play and Everyday Routines

Preschoolers’ free play involves substantial amounts of foundational STEM skills as they explore patterns, shapes, and spatial relations, compare magnitudes, engineer with various materials, and explore scientific phenomena and concepts. Play-based curricula have been shown to be particularly effective for early learning. These practices can be directly applied to STEM and the scientific inquiry process. They can be embedded across activities that are already of interest to children or are part of their daily functional routines.

*At the STEM Garden at CHS Hershey, children engage in hands-on learning as they care for plants, make observations, and learn through trial and error.*

Children are hardwired to learn through play and curiosity. The drive to explore, interact, and observe is something we are born with. This means that the early childhood years, from birth to age 5, have long been accepted as a critical point in brain development, and incorporating STEM curricula can set children on a path to develop a love of scientific inquiry.

Resources for Intentional STEM Learning

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has resources for educators and families to create experiences for young learners, including hands-on experiences that allow children to explore their curiosities and interests and develop and test theories in everyday situations. There are also resources to help plan your day to build STEM into everything from circle time to home time. You can also talk, read, and sing about it.

Integrating STEM vocabulary into daily interactions with children is another way not only to build language skills but also to help them use the same vocabulary that scientists and engineers use as they engage in STEM activities, such as observing, investigating, comparing, measuring, designing, and building.

It’s not just about turning out potential STEM professionals. STEM activities build so-called 21st-century skills for everyone, often called the 4 Cs: critical thinking, creative thinking, communicating, and collaborating. Whether it’s building structures with popsicle sticks/toothpicks and marshmallows or creating a milk-bottle xylophone, STEM activities build the skills that help children (and adults) to learn, which will lead to success in school and throughout their lives.