More than you might think! Find out how we’re getting creative to help early childhood educators teach STEM in playful, memorable ways.
Teaching STEM to little ones is a big job. That’s why OMSI offers workshops for preschool teachers that deliver resources, inspiration and activities to support them in developing their lesson plans. We know subjects like math and science can be tricky — but our goal is to make STEM fun, whether you’re here at the museum or not.
So how do we help teachers bring the fun to their own classrooms? Take a peek inside our Supporting Young Mathematicians workshop to find out.
We start by busting some myths about math — from the idea that only certain types of thinkers can be good at it, to what math really looks like for the youngest learners. Next, we get into hands-on activities. This workshop is all about using storytelling to inspire math play and learning, so our team uses picture books that help kids and teachers alike engage with new concepts in ways that are simple and memorable.
For example, we love using the book Is 2 A Lot? An Adventure with Numbers. The book helps kids break down what numbers mean in real life through comparisons like: “Two is NOT a lot of pennies, but two is A LOT of smelly skunks.”
Now flex your own number sense muscles and try it out by completing this sentence: “Two is A LOT of smelly skunks, but not a lot of ____________.” Change up the number and get creative!
“I loved how they made the workshop fun!” one of our workshop participants says. “We learned a lot of hands-on activities we can do with children to better their understanding of critical thinking through scientific experiments.”
“I cannot wait to implement what I have learned,” another teacher says.
Are you a preschool teacher?
We’d love to have you join our next workshop. Explore our educator resources page for upcoming dates.
Contact SciencePlayground@OMSI.edu for more information.
