Coralee Smith (National Science Teachers Association (NSTA))
If Oprah’s Book Club read the book Worms, Shadows and Whirlpools: Science in the Early Childhood Classroom, it would become an overnight best seller! This extraordinary book looks at early childhood science explorations using the words of teachers and students in preschool, day care, Head Start, and kindergarten. In the author’s words, “…many people still argue that the primary goals of the early childhood curriculum are to provide early reading, mathematics, and social skill development, leaving little time for science...doing inquiry-based science...will provide the meaningful context in which these skills can be learned best.” This book does exactly that! Teachers will love the authentic words, artifacts, and documentation from young students ages 3 to 5. In one illuminating example that demonstrates a strong connection between literature and accurate science content knowledge, a classroom of urban four- and five-year-old children was observing the life cycle of a butterfly. The teacher asked the students to be ready to identify possible mistakes in The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Her students caught the fact that caterpillars do not eat lollipops and that butterflies do not make cocoons, but chrysalises. In this example, science encouraged higher-level thinking skills in the children and literacy evaluation for their teachers. The content of this book aligns with National Science Education Standards and Benchmarks for Science Literacy, and the developmentally appropriate learning and teaching strategies are aligned with the standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. There are many interdisciplinary connections among mathematics, language arts, social studies, and the arts. This book will inspire anyone who works with young children to use science as the foundation for learning. Grades K-4. Keywords: Animals, Plants/Garden, Science Education, Science Processes, Teacher Education, Water. 2003, Heinemann Educational Books, 168p, $21. Ages 5 to 10.