ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a discussion of young children’s capabilities around science, followed by the role that teachers can play in supporting children’s scientific exploration and thinking. Scientific exploration begins in infancy as babies use all of their senses to explore their environment. Children are mini-scientists, constantly forming and testing their own theories about the world around them through their play. Teachers extend this development through the creation of a scientifically interesting, playful environment for exploration. Incidental science happens in the early childhood classroom quite frequently but can easily go unnoticed by the adults in the room. There are so many areas of the classroom where the possibility to learn and explore science are present. Exposing young children to science is developmentally appropriate and builds a strong foundation for learning the concepts and processes encountered in elementary school and beyond. The chapter concludes with a look at how teachers can support science learning through inquiry in their classrooms.
