Engaging Young Children in STEAM Learning: An Inquiry Planning Guide for Early Educators

The water station in The Pond Room had always been a popular option especially since in this region the summer heat is extremely intense. The Master Teacher noticed that Zach, a 3-year-old with special needs and an IEP from the local school district, returned to the water station over and over again and was very focused on his activities. His obsession with water also drew other children in the play. After observing the children play freely with water for two weeks, the teacher decided to expand this water play into a series of developmentally appropriate, meaningful investigations about water. She felt that this water project was a great opportunity for preschoolers with and without disabilities to construct STEAM concepts and skills which will prepare them for more complex and abstract STEAM concepts in later schooling. With the goals of developing students’ knowledge and positive attitudes toward STEAM and promoting their STEAM-related questioning and problem-solving skills, the master teacher began the inquiry and embarked on a water project in her classroom.