Wanting to use best teaching practices and develop my students’ science thinking to the best of their capability, I look at what governments and curriculum developers think should be happening in an early childhood classroom, and what topics should be taught. When are children able to understand what makes a “fair test” and ready to experiment in addition to doing activities? Is learning about the solar system best taught in preK or in grade 2? What big ideas can be learned through a unit on the ever popular dinosaurs?
Do your curriculum and state standards seem as well thought out and complete as others? Do they cover the science content areas or objectives that you feel they should? Are there gaps? Are the standards appropriate for your grade? What content should be mastered before students arrive in your classroom? Standards and guidelines are great resources for lesson planning.
Look at some other guidelines to judge for yourself if you are meeting children’s needs for science learning. In alphabetical order:

• Benchmarks for Science Literacy
• HeadStart Child Outcomes Framework
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Early Childhood Program Standards
• National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (National Board Certified Teachers)
• National Science Education Standards (NSES)

Can you recommend any standards that you think we can all learn from, or should try to meet to the best of our ability?
Peggy