Written by: Reagan Flowers, PhD
Beginning STEM education when a child is very young is a natural fit, not only because of a young child’s curiosity, but also because of the way a young brain develops.We learn throughout our lives by creating connections in our brains.
Several factors affect these connections. We create new connections through each new experiences. We strengthen these connections through repeated experiences, but these connections can also disappear if unused. Therefore, it’s essential to incorporate STEM education as early as possible, and continue to offer experiences that will strengthen STEM skills throughout childhood and into adulthood.
Childhood is a crucial time for learning new concepts, as the brain is still growing. That’s why toddlers learn so much faster than adults. The optimal learning age for many skills encompassed in STEM is between three and six years old. This includes numbers,shapes,symbols, and motor development.
By developing these skills as early as even preschool, we can help kids build incredibly strong foundations for their futures. This can be accomplished both in the classroom and at home. It can be as simple as encouraging a young child to think about how something was built or put together, or pointing out shapes like squares or triangles in common objects.
As a supporter of C-STEM, you already understand how crucial STEM education is. We hope providing information like this helps you continue to do your part, and helps you better coordinate with others for the best interest of all our kids.
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https://www.adam-mila.com/brain-development-children-0-6-years/
https://www2.ed.gov/about/inits/ed/earlylearning/talk-read-sing/stem-toolkit-preschool-teachers.pdf