Photo: Kate Samp for Strategies for Children

The Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) wants to know what you think preschoolers should know about science, technology, and engineering.

EEC is requesting public feedback on its adoption of Pre-Kindergarten Science, Technology and Engineering Standards.

From studying the moon to understanding more about the earth’s rocks, soil, and water, these topics capitalize on children’s natural curiosity and excitement about how the world works – making the preschool years an ideal time to learn these lessons.

We blogged about the standards a couple of years ago when they were in draft stage. As we explained then, the standards cover “biology and the life sciences (plants and animals); earth and space science; and the physical sciences.”

According to the Executive Office of Education’s website, the standards are designed to:

• be developmentally appropriate for children ages 2 years and 9 months old through 5 years old;
• connect with the Curriculum Framework for English Language Arts (ELA) and Literacy, the Curriculum Framework for Mathematics, and the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Frameworks;
• align with existing guidelines, including the Early Learning Guidelines for Infants and Toddlers; the Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences; and the Kindergarten Learning Experiences, as well as with the Technology/Engineering Standards for preschool through grade two, currently being revised by ESE;
• incorporate three of the domains established in A Framework for K-12 Science Education. These three domains are 1) practices of science, technology, and engineering; 2) cross-cutting concepts; and 3) disciplinary core ideas; and
• identify learning outcomes and highlight content in the context of practices and cross-cutting ideas

More information about the standards is available in a webinar conducted by Wheelock College professors Karen Worth and Jeff Winokur. A related PowerPoint presentation covers the standards and includes photographs of children’s work. Worth and Winokur worked closely with EEC to draft the standards.

“Massachusetts is one of the few states that has taken seriously the idea of having Pre-K built into its K-12 education continuum,” Worth said last year in a Wheelock College blog post. “That’s interesting and different because it says pre-school is not just daycare and it’s not babysitting. It says that pre-school is a place where there is foundational learning taking place.”

Want first hand information? There will be a session called “STEM in the Infant Toddler Classroom” at the Massachusetts STEM Summit on Tuesday, November 10, 2015. The presenters are Charlene Cross, a toddler teacher at The Williston Northampton Children’s Center, and by Keira Durrett, the center’s director. “The key concepts to be addressed are what does STEM encompass, what does it look like with infants and toddlers, and how do you make it meaningful.”

You can also read and comment on a draft of the state’s “Massachusetts Science and Technology/Engineering Standards Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 8 and Introductory High School Courses,” to see how this curriculum builds over time. As this document explains:

“To support student readiness for citizenship, college, and careers, the Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) standards are intended to drive coherent, rigorous instruction that emphasizes student mastery of both disciplinary core ideas (concepts) and application of science and engineering practices (skills).”

To submit written comments on the pre-K standard or on the pre-K-to-8 standard, fill out a survey posted on the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s website. The deadline is Friday, November 20, 2015.