# PRESCHOOL PATHWAYS TO SCIENCE ## Authors **Rochel Gelman, Ph.D., Kimberly Brenneman, Ph.D., Gay Macdonald, Ph.D., Moisés Román, M.A.** Rutgers University, UCLA Early Care and Education --- ## PRESCHOOL ### PrePSTM #### FACILITATING SCIENTIFIC ## PATHWAYS #### WAYS OF THINKING, **TO** **TALKING, DOING,** # SCIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING --- ## Introduction to PrePS™ Young children can demonstrate surprisingly abstract abilities, as did Dara (3 years 11 months) who denied that a puppet could remember but allowed that a cat could. When asked why, she answered, “because all the things that are alive can remember.” ... ## Table of Contents - 1 Introduction to PrePS™ - 2 The Nature and Development of Concepts: Implications for Teaching Preschool Science - 3 Key Science Practices - 4 Getting Started and Moving Forward - 5 Assessment - References - Index ## Chapter 1: Introduction to PrePS™ ### Science for Preschool? Some people may think that we are being overly optimistic about the abilities of preschool children. After all, traditional stage theory continues to be taught to future educators. ... ### More Competence than Meets the Eye We are fortunate to work in a time when the preschool mind is celebrated for what it can do rather than what it cannot do. Preschoolers were once thought to be conceptually limited... ### A Preview of PrePS PrePS encourages science-based learning through activities and experiences that allow children to explore big ideas in depth and to learn the practices and language of science. ## Chapter 2: The Nature and Development of Concepts: Implications for Teaching Preschool Science ### More About Theories Theory into Practice... ## Chapter 3: Key Science Practices ### Observe, Predict, Check. 1. **Observe**: Children should be encouraged to observe their surroundings. 2. **Predict**: Ask children to make predictions based on their observations... ### Activity 3.1 Introducing Observation - **Objective**: Help children learn to observe details in their environment. ## Chapter 4: Getting Started and Moving Forward ### Getting Started with PrePS Early PrePS Learning Experiences... ### Activity 4.1 Exploring the Functions of Senses - Comparing and Contrasting with Apples... ## Chapter 5: Assessment ### How Do We Know PrePS Supports Development of the Whole Child? References... ## Acknowledgments *Preschool Pathways to Science (PrePS™) has been a long time coming—nearly twenty years. ... ## In Memory of Ann L. Brown --- ## Conclusion Some key ideas permeate this book: 1. Knowledge about the world is related to the practices and tools of science. 2. Young children use what they know to participate actively in their own learning... --- This document serves as an introduction to understanding the efficacy of early science education through the framework of the Preschool Pathways to Science (PrePS) program, emphasizing children’s inherent capabilities and the importance of nurturing their curiosity in scientific exploration.