Boost young children’s problem-solving skills and set them up for long-term success with the second edition of this practical guidebook! Enhanced with new lessons and timely topics—including equity and the use of makerspaces—this book will help you get all children ready for kindergarten by teaching them basic practices of engineering design and critical thinking skills.
Using a clear instructional framework and fun lesson plans tailored for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, you’ll guide your “emerging engineers” as they explore big ideas and develop new ways of thinking through engaging and challenging learning experiences. Practical materials include classroom-tested activities that incorporate children’s books, self-reflection checklists, practical strategies and modifications, Early Childhood UDL Planning Sheets, and blank Experience Planning Templates.
EDUCATORS WILL
WHAT’S NEW: Three new themes: computational thinking, makerspaces, and inclusion and equity in STEM | Every lesson plan updated | More lessons based on new children’s books | New art/music/drama lesson options for STEAM-focused schools | More coverage of spatial development | Expanded information on assessment | Updated book resources and references
About the DownloadsAbout the AuthorsA Note to the ReaderAcknowledgements
Section I Why Engineering and Problem Solving Are Important in Early Childhood Inclusive ClassroomsChapter 1 Young Children Are Natural Problem Solvers: A Framework OverviewChapter 2 Universal Design for Learning to Support Engineering Experiences in Inclusive Early Childhood SettingsSection II Using the Problem-Solving Framework to Teach Thinking Skills in Inclusive Early Childhood SettingsChapter 3 Curious ThinkersChapter 4 Persistent ThinkersChapter 5 Flexible ThinkersChapter 6 Reflective ThinkersChapter 7 Collaborative ThinkersChapter 8 Lessons, Literacy, and STEM LearningAppendixUniversal Design for Learning Planning Sheets Infant Lesson PlansToddler Lesson PlansPreschool Lesson PlansChapter 9 Curious, Persistent, Flexible, Reflective, and Collaborative TeachersAppendixAppendix A Early Childhood UDL Planning Sheet: Infants (Sample)Appendix B Early Childhood UDL Planning Sheet: Toddlers (Sample)Appendix C Early Childhood UDL Planning Sheet: Preschoolers (Sample)Appendix D Early Childhood UDL Planning Sheet: BlankAppendix E Infant Experience Planning TemplateAppendix F Toddler Experience Planning TemplateAppendix G Preschool Experience Planning TemplateAppendix H General Material list for Low-Cost/No-Cost STEM materials for Early Childhood Settings
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"Provides excellent examples of high‑quality STEM activities to support children's problem‑solving and critical thinking skills...a great resource for early childhood educators in inclusive settings.
The authors provide the theory and evidence base behind this problem‑solving framework and show how educators and caregivers can use the framework to participate in engineering learning experiences with young children."