- By Eden
- Salley
Science Concepts for Preschoolers: Matching Instructional Approaches to Individual Learning Needs
This article is part of our weekly series Executive Function Tips for Families.
Preschoolers are naturally curious and ready to explore simple science concepts. This week, we review a study that suggests tailoring instructional approaches to match your child’s learning needs, nurture their scientific curiosity, and support the development of their executive function skills.
Before We Begin:
This article explains the study Preschool Children’s Science Learning: Instructional Approaches and Individual Differences. Grenell, A., Ernst, J. R., & Carlson, S. M. (2024). Early Education and Development, 1–29. The focus of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of different methods for teaching preschoolers science.
Key Takeaways
Preschool children love learning about the world around them. As you have likely experienced, this is shown through the numerous questions they ask each day.
Researchers in this study analyzed how teaching preschoolers about something as simple as why objects sink or float could be the key to unlocking their potential and bridging early achievement gaps. They compared different instructional methods and explored how individual differences like age, socio-economic status (SES), and executive function (EF) skills play a vital role in early scientific learning.
Let’s see how tailored instructional approaches can be used to support our preschoolers’ science exploration.
Study Setting and Instructional Approaches
The study compared instructional approaches for teaching preschoolers about sinking and floating.
- Participants: 93 typically developing 4-5-year-olds.
- A pre and post-test measured changes in knowledge about sinking and floating.
- Children also completed measures of executive function, non-verbal IQ, and verbal IQ.
- Children were randomly assigned to one of the following three instructional approaches:
Direct Instruction:
- Involves explicitly providing information to learners.
- Can vary from passive, lecture-based instruction to more active forms.
- Reduces burden on working memory.
- More efficient and faster than discovery learning.
Discovery Learning:
- Learners discover information within the task and materials.
- Can be unguided (no help) or guided (some support).
- Encourages active participation and knowledge construction.
- Promotes deeper learning and transfer of knowledge to other contexts.
No-Instruction Control:
- These children were not given any science instruction.
Study Findings
- Preschoolers learned more about sinking and floating from Direct Instruction than Discovery Learning or No-Instruction Control.
- In Discovery Learning, children with higher pretest scores benefited more.
- Prior knowledge levels did not affect learning in the Direct Instruction group.
- Working memory differences influenced learning among children with lower prior knowledge; those with higher working memory skills learned more.
- The stronger preschoolers’ EF skills were, the more they learned about the topic from the various instructional approaches.
- Age and SES were significant predictors of learning.
Actionable Steps for Parents
This study highlights the importance of instructional approaches and individual EF skills in preschool children’s learning of science concepts. The good news is you can strengthen both science concepts and EF skills, like working memory, at home!
- Read: Learn more about preschool students and science concepts and exploration. This site gives examples of activities that can be used at different ages.
- Assess: When working with your child on strengthening their EF skills, it is good to know where they are currently functioning. You can do this at home!
- Play: Help your child expand their working memory (a key part of EF and science!) and encourage flexibility in the moment. Play: Mindful Scavenger Hunt is a fun way to practice working memory and adjusting their thinking as they play.
- Read: There are many ways to improve your child’s EF skills. Check out, The Superhero Skill Set. This blog post shares how EF is like a set of superpowers in your child’s brain, helping them make decisions, solve problems, and stay focused.
Conclusion
Parents can effectively nurture preschoolers’ scientific curiosity and support new learning by adapting their instructional approaches. Research suggests that when teaching novel science concepts, direct instruction is a preferred method. Understanding and leveraging a child’s individual abilities—such as working memory—can lead to deeper engagement with science concepts.
Encourage your child’s natural curiosity by exploring science together, using age-appropriate activities that challenge and expand their thinking. As you do, you’ll help them understand the world around them and build foundational skills crucial for their future learning. Stay up to date with resources that you can use to help your child at home!
