STEM is an acronym for the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. But besides being just an acronym, it’s a philosophy that teachers and parents use to teach children the relationship between humans and the world, discipline, and thinking in a creative and innovative manner. STEM is a blend of science and mathematics with engineering and technology. It is an approach to learning based on real-life events and lessons. STEM education can be gained at any age in life. But, researchers find it better to learn STEM during early childhood years as what we learn during childhood stays with us forever. I personally believe in learning STEM during the early years because it helps you relate to the world in a better way, and hence grow curiosity in things around you.
To quote Maria Montessori, ‘Early childhood is the key to the betterment of society.’ You learn new concepts in a fun and lively manner through games and activities. STEM education helps you understand the world and the events it’s bound by in a much better way. For example, science allows you to understand what this world is composed of, what different species of animals and plants are made of. This information makes you more curious about what could’ve led to the making of this world, and makes you analyze all the corners to get a probable answer. STEM allows you to investigate certain problems and situations, and helps you nourish your intellectual and problem-solving skills. For example, solving a math problem includes analyzing various settings associated with the question. This allows you to investigate what the right path is, and hence scrutinize the problem. Engineering allows you to solve technical problems by applying the integral principles of math and science. In this world of technology, you get hold of computer science and technology in the early years of your life! Isn’t it fascinating and exciting?
Along with learning a variety of subjects, you learn so many essential life-lessons. To transform your young mind into an innovator, STEM plays a very important role. STEM facilitates language development as talking about these subjects allows you to develop a new area of discussion. It encourages collaborative learning. For example, testing a hypothesis with your friend (an important aspect of a scientific investigation) allows you to discuss the probable conclusions with your partner, learn various aspects of the test from their perspective and improve communication and explorative skills. You develop accuracy through STEM. For example, solving a math equation requires sanity of mind and focus. If you aren’t meticulous enough, your smallest mistake can lead you to the wrong answer. To be able to make the correct use of technology matters the most, and that requires critical thinking. Technology has become a part of our life as it makes our life faster and easier to live in.
STEM is an ocean of knowledge that’s never-ending as there are many more scientific and technological discoveries yet to be made, mathematical proofs to be understood and thesis to be written. As a result, I believe you don’t need to jump onto quantum physics right away as it’s better to create a foundation of STEM during early years so that you can take one step at a time. To recapitulate, STEM is the need of the hour, and the earlier the children are made aware of it, the better it is for the world, as they are the ones who are being passed on the baton of running the world of science and technology ahead. As Bill Nye said, ‘There’s nothing I believe in more strongly than getting young people more interested in science, and engineering, for a better tomorrow, for all humankind.’ So, learn STEM young and dominate in the most important fields of education in this era.
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Resources
Learning-Liftoff-Staff. (2019, March 11). Why STEM Education Is Essential for Younger Kids. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://www.learningliftoff.com/why-stem-education-is-essential-for-younger-kids/
Sneideman, J. M. (2019, March 01). Feature Story - Engaging Children in STEM Education EARLY! Retrieved October/November, 2020, from https://naturalstart.org/feature-stories/engaging-children-stem-education-early
Benefits of STEM Education in Early Childhood. (2019, November 16). Retrieved October/November, 2020, from https://thestempedia.com/blog/benefits-of-stem-education-in-early-childhood/