Often STEM education is not included in the prekindergarten or transitional kindergarten curriculum. Having worked as an advocate to improve the pipeline of STEM students at college level and going onto STEM careers for over 20 years, what I know for sure is that the earlier students are engaged in STEM topics, the better. Professor Herbert Ginsburg has studied hundreds of children and says important mathematical ideas and skills can be learned by age four, “yet research shows that most pre-K teachers do little with math”. A large proportion of teachers never experienced science inquiry in their own schooling. This gap creates a major obstacle for teachers to be able to provide a curriculum which is hands-on and project-based. STEM interest development at a young age requires teachers who are capable of delivering STEM content that engages and inspires. Universal TK is happening all around the country. We now need to develop a support system for our TK teachers so they can improve their STEM pedagogy and curriculum.
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dr.barbara christie 