What's HOT in STEAM Education: How Using ECRR2 Supports Literacy, Common Core, and School Success

What’s Hot in STEAM Education: How Using ECRR2 Supports Literacy, Common Core and School Success presented by Judy Cheatham Vice-President of Literacy Services,  RIF, Christy Estrivutzm, Eva Mitnick, Jury Nelson, Susan Newham

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) website: http://www.rif.org/ is a comprehensive source of ideas and information for parents and professionals.

Booklist for STEAM programs includes titles and related activities: http://www.rif.org/documents/us/MulticulturalBookCollectionList.pdf

Early literacy research was discussed, along with deficiencies in education and lapses in skills among the population. Attendees were encouraged to use the RIF website for ideas, information, and handouts. Setting up stations that focus on early science skills was outlined. Block parties were described, along with their early literacy learning benefits.

Judy Cheathum from RIF spoke first. RIF began in 1966. Studies showed that when children have their own books, they become better readers. The focus was on ages 0-8. So far 410 million books have been given to 53 million children at 17,000 sites.

We tend to teach reading like we’re sending people to the electric chair. We need to be happier about it.

Use the RIF website for many free downloads, including handouts for parents and activities for educators. ‘Content Connections’ on the website is the same thing as common core. The calendars are simple to use.

Why we need STEAM:

Three millions jobs that are not filled are the jobs we don’t know how to do because they require technical skills we don’t have.

Initiatives address this problem and are geared to middle school and older.

Children learn by doing. Help teach vocabulary by calling things what they are. In example is that when presented with a fraction, 2/3 and asked to name the numerator, many cannot.

Low reading scores are tied to poverty. Access to print can improve those scores because they can help develop background knowledge.

Cognitive demands get higher by grade. 

Phonics is one approach to learning to read, but cannot be the only one. For example some letters don’t work—‘c’(k or s sound) and ‘q’ (‘kw’ sound).

With common core, keep in mind that different books may have different text features. For example, lift-the-flap books help teach prediction. Feel the Force helps teach physics. Show parents how they can help their children by using these different text features.

All children develop Basic Interpretative Communication Skills. They will learn Congnitive Academic Language Proficiency. Learning BIC probably takes 2 years, even for ESL children. But CALP takes 5-7 years for English language learners.

Librarians can teach ECCR workshops with STEAM books. STEAM scares teachers.

Eva Mitnick from LA County Library spoke about ECRR.

Preschoolers are natural scientists. The CA Science Center has kits to use with preschoolers.

With preschoolers use hands-on STEM activities. Work with children and parents together. Provide training to learn how to use the kids.

Provide a preschool science series. Make reading a part of every program. Use the RIF STEAM reading list.

Freegal. Search for key words in children’s songs. For example:

‘gravity’: worms under the ground.

Use writing and have parents help label.

Playing with floating and sinking—have children predict whether rocks will float or sink. Add art (the ‘a’ in STEAM) Use painting with gravity and rock activities.

Encourage parents to model scientific behavior by asking questions. Discuss what scientists do. Observe, predict, check. Ask questions.

Use magnifying glasses and look at face in the mirror. Draw what you see. This is ‘observing’.

Explore surface tension with bubbles.

Set up stations. Small groups are best with a teen volunteer at each station.

This program is about an hour.

Susan Newham from Pierce Library talked about Block Parties.

Her library uses Lakeshore blocks .They received funding from a grant and from their Foundation. They partnered with head Start for designated block play. They provided training for librarians and teachers.

Research has identified seven stages of block play. Once children master stage one they will on and also back to earlier stages. Rules are that they can’t throw block or know down anyone’s structure. The library has labeled cabinets with the names of the blocks along with the picture of the block.

They also hold public block parties once a month. They have open block play at storytimes. In a similar vein, they provide Lego parties for tweens.

As sessions progress, additional items are added: vehicles, animals, scarves, clothespins.

A big meeting room is the perfect place for block parties. Block parties encourage stories and language development. They are a great literacy tool.

Frank L. Wright remembered “the feeling of those simple maple blocks in my fingers to this day.”

Give information to parents about block play and its importance.

During block play provide photos of structures around the world.

Think about starting this as a storytime, a family event. Start with books, maybe stories about dreaming and building.

Block parties provide an ideal environment for parents to talk with their children. Talking with children is one of the most important things that parents can do to help get their child ready to learn to read. Block parties provide a safe place for family language. Families can use their first or second language.

White paper on block play, its importance and relevance to early literacy: http://www.ala.org/alsc/sites/ala.org.alsc/files/content/FINAL%20Board%20Approved%20White%20Paper%20on%20Play.pdf

Additional website resources:

Blocks as Tools for Learning: http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/Hewitt0101.pdf

Early Math Skills: Building Blocks of the Future: http://www.blockfest.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/RB.WhitePaper.EarlyMathSkills.2008s.pdf

Toy Blocks and Construction Toys: A Guide for the Science Minded Parent: http://www.parentingscience.com/toy-blocks.html