Science refers to a system for acquiring knowledge, through observation, experimentation, and organization of information, a system that results in general principles and laws that describe and explain how the world works. Young children are constantly engaged in building theories about the world around them, and early childhood education can support and nurture this theory building. This entry discusses elements of science and how this relates to early childhood education, focusing on curriculum, the role of the teacher, and the role of the environment.

What Is Science?

We can think about science in terms of what we understand (content) and how we come to understand it (methods). In a very general sense of the word science, we are talking about learning about anything that is out there ...

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