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One of the acronyms that seems to come up over and over again when it comes to education is STEAM. It is popping up in different types of conversations that have to do with education and many others that relate to preparing young people for the business world. But what is it, and does it have any relevance for an education preschool?
The Acronym STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art and math. These sound like quite advanced concepts for your average pre-schooler, but building a strong foundation in these core skills is vital to the success of a child. They won’t be expected to understand how a computer works or be able to do multiplication in their heads, but building STEAM skills will prove to be very be very useful as they get older and progress through their schooling careers and into the workplace. STEAM skills can be taught in preschool through games, activities, play and discussion and, in so doing, pre-schoolers are able to learn and apply these core concepts.
The Different Aspects of STEAM
In science activities, children learn important skills such as investigation, asking questions and experimentation. Involving pre-k age children in age appropriate, science-focused activities helps to make the process of asking questions and exploring second nature.
Technology activities and games involve the use of tools ranging from simple ones such as crayons, pencils and scissors, to more complicated choices such as computers. Here, children learn mastery over different tools and are able to pick up new ones quickly and confidently.
Engineering allows children to recognize problems and develop solutions that can be tested. This develops creative problem-solving skills from a young age.
Art-based activities give children the freedom they need to be creative. It is also an important processing tool as children are able to record on paper some of the concepts that they are learning.
The concepts that children look at in mathematics covers numbers as well as shapes and patterns. It also covers organizational skills and more – all of which are important building blocks for their formal education in the future.
Why STEAM Subjects at Preschool Age Are Important
STEAM subjects equip children with the foundational concepts that they will need to build on in the future, done in a fun way so that children learn through playing. It’s important to make the distinction here that while some children may display a particular aptitude for a specific subject, in general, these are all subjects that can be learned.
STEAM skills are also very useful as the problem-solving skills that children learn can be applied to different aspects of their lives. In math and science, for example, children will learn how to observe and think critically about a problem, which is a good foundation for many other unrelated scenarios.
STEAM aptitude is also among the most in demand for skills in the workplace. The rate of technology continues to increase and many jobs that are currently done by humans will likely be obsolete in the future, but skills in science, technology, engineering and math will continue to be important
STEAM in a Pre-K Context
New skills and concepts should only be introduced when children exhibit developmental readiness so that the process of learning can be natural and enjoyable. As such, STEAM activities and games can be integrated into the daily pre-k routine. This includes reading books, through discussion, new experiments, art projects and more.
Kids R Kids Learning Academy in Circa Fishhawk believes in offering children the best possible care and education. With onsite owners, this family-owned and operated academy has a love of children at their core. They incorporate STEAM education into their curriculum using the best creative, fun and technology-driven educational programs.