STEM for Kindergarten
Starting STEM education early in PreK and kindergarten can be extremely valuable to the long-term development of many students. While some may believe they must wait to introduce STEM studies to students once they get into junior high and high school, students should be made aware of these fields and their many offerings from an even earlier age. Students that engage in STEM activities from the time they start school can cultivate their interests from a young age and potentially enter these fields better equipped to tackle their demands when they reach higher grade levels.
What are STEM activities? As the term implies, these activities work to introduce students to STEM in a way that’s fun, educational, and age appropriate. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. These activities might include engineering activities for kindergarten. Really, STEM for kindergarten opens the door to a world of possibilities, and educators have the freedom to design an interactive curriculum to suit the needs and interests of their students. The sky's the limit in terms of what activities you can come up with to engage your young students.
There are also many math STEM activities for kindergarten that schools might incorporate into the classroom. Educators can get as creative as they want when designing STEM activities. It is also important that they find ways to relate these activities to the interests of their students, as this will help get them excited and involved. Introducing students to STEM subjects at an early age can help build a solid foundation for them to use later in life. Fortunately, PLTW (Project Lead the Way) is a nonprofit organization that provides students and teachers with practical and rewarding learning opportunities in STEM. These opportunities foster critical and creative thinking and encourage students to collaborate and communicate effectively.
STEM Curriculum For Kindergarten
When designing a STEM curriculum for kindergarten, it’s important to keep in mind the ultimate goal for STEM education for this age group. STEM activities for kindergarten should focus on the type of standards outlined by PLTW which intentionally connect to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Namely, students should be able to explore and design, investigate various pushes and pulls, identify the structures and function of the human body, explore different animals and algorithms, learn about sunlight and weather, and explore the impact of human needs and wants on the natural environment.
Of course, a kindergarten STEM curriculum does not necessarily need to go into extreme depth on any of these topics. The goal is to introduce STEM concepts to students so that they can easily understand and apply them to the rest of their education. At the kindergarten level, most students can simply gain exposure to STEM in exciting ways that will leave a lasting impression for years to come. Such a curriculum can easily be designed by most educators. With PLTW Launch, which is designed specifically with students K through 5 in mind, educators can instill in their students an eagerness for learning and exploring via play. The program offers activities that closely relate to the world with which students interact every day, and they build upon one another. Such activities can encourage students to enjoy and embrace challenges.
Easy STEM Activities
There are countless STEM activities for kids that educators can introduce to their classrooms. Of course, STEM activities for 3-5 year olds are going to look slightly different than STEM activities for 5 year olds, so many educators will choose activities that are age-appropriate and that are going to be easily understood and appreciated by students that fall within a given age group.
PreK students can benefit from easy STEM activities that are hands-on. At this point in their education, they may also learn about different aspects of life science and what many living things require to be healthy. This could also be an ideal time to teach students what healthy habits entail and how they can practice them for themselves. Once they reach kindergarten age, students could also start engaging in push and pull activities, developing knowledge and skills related to forces of differing strengths and directions. PLTW can provide educators with the tools and resources needed with PLTW Launch modules available in both English and Spanish.
STEM For Kindergarten And First Grade
An effective STEM curriculum should build on itself over time. STEM for kindergarten and first grade will naturally have its own set of standards and activities, but ideally, these should carry over to later grades and expand upon the foundation of knowledge that was established earlier. For instance, easy STEM activities for preschoolers can morph into a knowledge set that can be applied with STEM activities for elementary students. When looking for STEM activities for grade 1 or, more specifically, math STEM activities for 1st grade, it’s important to consider what skills these activities are teaching your students that can come in handy down the road.
PLTW Launch, PLTW’s elementary program, spans preschool through 5th grade, equipping students with the tools and knowledge to succeed later on in their educational journey. This program taps into students’ exploratory nature, engages them in learning that feels like play and encourages them to keep discovering. By engaging in hands-on activities in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science, they become creative, collaborative problem solvers ready to take on any challenge. All PLTW Launch modules are available in both English and Spanish, reinforcing PLTW’s commitment to ensuring access to all students, including America’s 5 million English language learners.
STEM Activities for Kindergarten PDF
Most STEM curriculums come with prepared course material and activities for teachers to lead for their students. Whatever you’re looking for, whether it’s easy STEM activities with paper or printable STEM activities for kindergarten, you are likely to find something suitable for your class via a STEM activities for kindergarten PDF. The main advantage to using a PDF is that it can easily be opened by users across the board, regardless of what platform or software they’re using to access it. Using a PDF sheet is a great way to communicate information to your staff and students. PDFs can also be incredibly useful in planning STEM activities, regardless of what grade or age group you’re working with.
Taking advantage of prepared course material can help ease the burden of having to come up with a whole curriculum on your own. There are certain topics and activities that don’t come naturally to certain educators, and it can always be helpful to have an outside source of information in order to design the best possible curriculum for your students. Of course, you can also customize these according to your own lesson goals and desired outcomes for your class but having a template that can act as a guide is a great way to get started.
Virtual STEM Activities For Kindergarten
When most people think of STEM activities, they may picture hands-on learning in a group setting. This can often be the case. That said, as online education has become increasingly popular in recent years, more and more teachers have started looking for online interactive STEM activities for their students. Fortunately, STEM curricula can be digitally adapted for kindergarten students. In addition, PLTW offers guidance on how to transition to an online setting if the need arises.
Virtual STEM activities for kindergarten do not have to be boring or unappealing, either. Even as educators engage with their students through a screen, they can find ways to hold students’ attention and keep all students eager to learn. Home science projects are a great option for online learners. Fortunately, PLTW can offer guidance to instructors who hope to make their STEM-based curriculum more engaging to their students even via an online platform. PLTW offers a plethora of online STEM activities for kindergarten that educators can introduce to their classes. PLTW can also offer online STEM activities for elementary students in general. Even educators seeking to transition to an online learning setting from an in-person setting can find resources for guidance through PLTW.
Free STEM Activities For Kindergarten
Not all schools have the internal budget to fund STEM programs, but there are grants available to help. These grants provide STEM education and teacher training so that schools without the budget for STEM activities can still have access to these courses for their students. PLTW offers STEM grants, providing educational opportunities for underserved students and schools.
Even without a STEM grant there are plenty of resources that teachers can use in their classroom. You can find ideas on free STEM activities for kindergarten online, as well as free printable STEM activities for kindergarten charts and templates. For ideas on free STEM activities or a free STEM curriculum planner, you might also consult with others in your school district. STEM education is vital to the success of young students, so it’s important for educators to utilize every option available to them in order to craft a robust STEM curriculum for their PreK and kindergarten students.
