“Counter to long-held assumptions about babies and toddlers’ cognitive capacity, we now know that STEM thinking starts in infancy.” – Hadani and Rood, The Roots of STEM Success, Center for Childhood Creativity (2018)
“While school is the place most Americans naturally associate with STEM learning, research has demonstrated that there are ample opportunities for STEM learning well before child care, preschool, and kindergarten. In fact, children are literally born scientists.” – Babies are Born Scientists – NSF (2012) and The scientist in the crib: What early learning tells us about the mind – Gopnik and Kulh (2000).
Even before one year of age, babies have been shown to systematically test physical hypotheses when they observe objects behaving in unexpected ways. – Observing the unexpected enhances infants’ learning and exploration – Stahl and Feigenson, Science (2015)
“Too often, we underestimate the concepts our youngest learners can understand. As the most important influencers in our children’s lives, we — whether parents or other caregivers, child care providers, preschool or elementary school teachers — should support this curiosity, guide young children in their exploration, and identify natural learning opportunities to develop and grow these foundational STEM skills.” – Roberty Rodriguez, Deputy Assistant to the President for Education, Supporting our youngest innovators: STEM starts early! (2016)
