CHAPTER 6
In Chapter 4, we showcased how Ramps and Pathways (R&P) investigations are fertile ground for literacy and social development as children strive to communicate to solve problems and share successes. In this chapter, we explore how R&P neatly fits within recent recommendations for science, technology, and engineering education (National Research Council, 2012) in the kindergarten and primary classroom. We provide a sound argument to anyone who questions the educational rigor and value of R&P in an early childhood classroom and illustrate how the chapter’s author was able to integrate R&P investigations in the literacy block in her 1st-grade classroom. Once in place, R&P not only addressed standards within the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) but also standards within the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy and the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010a, 2010b).
A PLACE FOR STEM IN THE KINDERGARTEN AND PRIMARY CLASSROOM
The NGSS challenge schools and teachers to create educational environments that will allow children to engage in the practices of science and engineering (NRC, 2013). Many administrators and primary teachers may feel STEM is too difficult for young students and believe instructional efforts and time should focus on the development of literacy and mathematics in the primary grades, leaving the challenges of STEM to upper elementary. They are mistaken. The authors of the National Research Council’s Taking Science to School (2007) warned that science education has not fully valued the cognitive abilities of young children and they encouraged teachers to engage kindergarten and primary grade children in more rigorous work in science explorations. When closely observing their young students outside the formal classroom, administrators and teachers learn that children are already engaging in STEM on their own. Young children independently explore the physical world to figure out how they can control it on a nearly continuous basis (Kato & Van Meeteren, 2008). One only needs to watch children on a playground to see this in action. For example, children sitting in a swing find they can move with a push or a pull by another child or an adult. By systematically shifting their body weight on the swing, they figure out how to get the swing to move without anyone else’s help. When they cease to shift their weight, the swing eventually slows to a stop. By dragging their feet on the ground, they hasten the stop. In effect, children engineer their actions as well as innovate on the original design of the swing. (Who hasn’t been irritated by having to unwind the chains of a swing thrown around the top by previous riders who wanted to figure out how shorter chains affect the action of the swing?) Children develop a relational understanding of how subtle variations of their actions, or a redesign (engineering of technology), affect the movement of the swing (physical science). They observe and measure the action of the swing through the lens of spatial thinking (mathematics) as they note the height and arch of the swing’s movement and count the number of passes the swing makes until it finally stops. In short, children interact with the universe (engineering and technology) in order to understand and explain the universe (science and mathematics). This is when STEM is relevant to the young child. Schools only need to conceptualize what developing science and engineering behaviors look like, and do a bit of rearranging within the current classroom settings, and these schools will allow STEM to flourish within the formal classroom from the very start of a child’s education. At the same time, they will notice a plethora of opportunities to entice children to learn the tools of literacy.
Standards Within Ramps and Pathways
When developing the new standards that guide the revision of science curriculum, its implementation, and assessment, the National Research Council (2012) recommended that the standards be developed around three dimensions:
To facilitate learning, the NRC recommended that the dimensions should be woven together in standards, curricula, instruction, and assessments. For example, when exploring the forces and motion core idea—How can one predict an object’s continued motion, changes in motion, or stability? (National Research Council, 2012)—children should be fully engaged in the practices of science and engineering. They should be allowed the time, materials, and freedom to construct a developing understanding of this core idea and to develop as independent learners. Teachers can guide children to associate the crosscutting concepts to help them construct an understanding of how everything is connected (NRC, 2012).
R&P fits the vision of the NGSS in kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades like a glove. R&P addresses physical science disciplinary core ideas and engineering design core ideas (as described in Chapter 1) in kindergarten through 2nd grade (NRC, 2013). Throughout R&P investigations, children are heavily engaged in science and engineering practices as they plan and carry out investigations, and analyze and interpret data. In the process, they find themselves engaging with concepts that cut across the domains such as cause and effect, patterns, systems and system models, structure and function, and most of all, the interdependence of science, engineering, and technology. R&P explorations are a powerful example of how kindergarten and primary grade teachers can implement a fully integrated STEM curriculum within the NGSS guidelines. This may be best illustrated by a sampling of R&P challenges. In the following section, the context for an R&P challenge is provided along with a list of materials, a careful consideration of the variables within the investigation that will influence conceptual development, suggestions for introducing each activity, and suggestions for questions and comments to support children in their developmental practice of science and engineering. We caution that the list is not exhaustive, nor is it a strict linear progression of challenges. These samplings are not intended to be used in a rigid sequential or hierarchical sense, but as a framework from which to begin.
A SAMPLING OF RAMP ACTIVITY CHALLENGES
BUILDING ONE-PIECE RAMPS: VARIOUS HEIGHTS
(A GOOD BEGINNING FOR ALL AGES)
After children have had ample opportunity and time to build with unit blocks, they gain enough understanding about weight, balance, friction, tension, and stability to allow them to take on the challenge of creating ramp and pathway systems. It is best to limit the amount and kinds of materials at the beginning to support children’s development of the fundamental relationships necessary in building ramps and pathways. In this exploration, materials are limited to allow children to develop relationships between the height of a ramp and the action of a marble. This can be introduced to a large or small group of children.
Materials:
Things that children can vary or change:
Design constraints or things for the teacher to hold constant or the same:
Relationships children have the possibility of making:
Examples of a teacher’s introduction:
I noticed you have built some interesting and stable block structures. I’m going to add these pieces of track to the block center along with some marbles. I’m wondering what you can do with the blocks and tracks to make the marble move on the track.
I’m adding some track to the block center. [Lay a track flat on the floor and place a marble in the middle.] What do you suppose we could do to move the marble from here [pointing to the marble in the middle] to there [pointing to the space off the end of the track]? [Allow the children to suggest and try out their ideas.] I’m going to leave these materials in the center so you can continue to explore what you can do.
Examples of questions and comments to inspire reasoning:
Is there a way you can get the marble to go in another direction?
What could you do to make the marble stop about here? [Point to a spot on the table.]
What could you do to make the marble go past here? [Point to a spot on the table.]
Is there a way you could get the marble to knock down this block when it comes off the ramp?
I notice the marble went farther that time. What did you do to make that happen?
BUILDING ONE-PIECE RAMPS: VARIOUS OBJECTS
(A GOOD BEGINNING FOR ALL AGES)
After children have had ample opportunity and time to build and vary the height using one-piece ramps, they can build one-piece ramps and release various objects in order to observe what happens with each object. A gradual introduction of different materials allows children to construct mental relationships between the properties of an object and how the properties affect the object’s motion.
Materials:
Things that children can vary or change:
Design constraints or things for the teacher to hold constant or the same:
Relationships children have the possibility of making:
Example of a teacher’s introduction:
I wonder how many of these things we can get to move on a ramp. Do you suppose they will all work for us?
Examples of questions and comments to inspire reasoning:
Is there a way to get all the objects to move down a ramp?
How do the things move (roll, slide, wobble, wiggle, bounce, tumble, somersault, flip-flop, cartwheel, turn, rotate, glide, skate, skid, slither, shake, tremble, quiver)?
This seems to wobble and tumble down the ramp and stops while this one slides and then turns at the bottom.
Why do you suppose that rolled the farthest?
I wonder why these objects all slide and these objects all roll?
Can you help me figure out why this won’t move?
I wonder why this is so hard to move?
Which objects are interesting to watch?
Which objects are your favorites to move? Why are they your favorite? Does everyone agree with you?
Which objects are your least favorites? Why? Does everyone agree with you?
BUILDING ONE-PIECE RAMPS: VARIOUS SPHERES
(A GOOD BEGINNING FOR ALL AGES)
Once children figure out that spheres are easiest to move and control on ramps and they begin to primarily use spheres, you can challenge them to consider how the properties of weight and size affect a sphere’s movement.
Materials:
Things that children can vary or change:
Design constraints or things for the teacher to hold constant or the same:
Relationships children have the possibility of making:
Example of a teacher’s introduction:
I’ve noticed that on Deondre’s ramp, the different spheres he sends down do not all move the same. I wonder if we might be able to notice/observe a pattern in how each sphere moves on a ramp.
Examples of questions and comments to inspire reasoning:
Did you figure out which kinds of spheres roll the farthest?
What is it about this sphere that makes it go farthest?
I wonder how we can figure out which sphere rolls the fastest?
Which is slowest? How do you know it goes the slowest? How could you keep track?
What is it about this sphere that makes it go slowest?
Which goes the shortest distance? How can we keep track?
What is it about this sphere that makes it go the shortest distance?
CONNECTING RAMP SECTIONS
(A RELATIONSHIP TO BE MADE BY ALL BEGINNING BUILDERS, YOUNG AND OLD)
Sometimes children will build a ramp using only one piece of track. Teachers can introduce the challenge of using two or more pieces of track. This presents the problem of connecting each segment of track in a way that allows the marble to move smoothly from one track onto the next. Children problem-solve to eliminate gaps by moving the ends of each track close together or overlapping the ends of the track.
Materials:
Things that children can vary or change:
Design constraints or things for the teacher to hold constant or the same:
Relationships children have the possibility of making:
Example of a teacher’s introduction:
I’m wondering how you could use two or three pieces of track to make a marble move.
How could you get the marble to move from one track onto the next?
How long of a track can you make? Will the marble roll all the way to the end of the track?
Examples of questions and comments to inspire reasoning:
Where is the marble going off the path?
What does the marble do when it misses the next section?
Is there a way you can fix it so you can keep the marble on the pathway?
BUILDING A RAMP WITH A JUMP OR A DROP
(WHEN BUILDERS BECOME MORE CONFIDENT)
When the teacher notices a gap between two linear ramp sections, he or she may ask the child if there is a way the marble can jump across the gap (see Photo 6.1). (Children often associate this with motorcycle jumps they have seen on television and come up with this idea on their own.)
Materials:
Things that children can vary or change:
Design constraints or things for the teacher to hold constant or the same:
Relationships children have the possibility of making:
Example of a teacher’s introduction:
I notice you have a gap here, but the marble makes it across. I wonder why it isn’t stopping? How wide of a gap do you think you can get the marble to jump across?
Examples of questions and comments to inspire reasoning:
What is happening to the marble at the gap?
If you wanted to keep the gap, is there a way the marble could cross it and land on the next ramp section?
I see the marble crosses the gap, but then bounces off the next ramp section. Is there something you can do to that second ramp to keep the marble from bouncing off?
Can you get it to keep working if you make the gap even wider?
USING MULTIPLE PIECES OF RAMP SECTIONS WITHIN A CONFINED AREA
(EXPERIENCED BUILDERS)
Budding ramp architects and engineers may learn that they can benefit from studying other ramp designs to enhance their own designs. Sometimes it is interesting to have a formal design challenge where everyone has the same-sized space and same materials to work with (see Photo 6.2). Children and teachers will find that there is more than one way to use the space and materials, and that children are creative with what design challenges can be solved with the same materials.
Materials:
Things that children can vary or change:
Design constraints or things for the teacher to hold constant or the same:
Relationships children have the possibility of making:
Class meetings provide children and teachers with important opportunities to come together to discuss, construct, and compose a working draft of a research problem to solve using R&P. Teachers can ask children to help identify the constraints everyone has to work within. Let children help to tape off 3×3 areas. Children get a beginning sense of area as opposed to linear length by helping you. This is a perfect context to address conducting a formal investigation, the kind of writing that goes into setting up a formal investigation, and observing and noticing similarities and differences in design.
Example of a teacher’s introduction:
I’ve noticed how many different ideas everyone has when they build. I’m curious to find out how many different ideas we have even when we have the same materials. Would you like to do a little research study together?
Examples of questions and comments to inspire reasoning:
How are you going to arrange the three pieces to build your ramp?
Which piece is the beginning of your system?
Which piece will come next?
Where will you start your marble?
Can you explain where you think the marble will go before you try out the ramp?
Is there another way you could put your ramp sections together and still get the marble to roll?
If it isn’t fitting inside the square, is there a way you could change the shape of your ramp?
If we take a tour of what other builders are doing, could you get some new ideas?
I notice the ball keeps rolling off this piece of the ramp section. Can you watch it here and help me figure out why?
I wonder what you could do to keep the marble from stopping on this ramp section?
Why do you suppose this corner works when this one doesn’t?
BUILDING RAMPS WITH HILLS
(RAMPS THAT GO DOWN THEN UP, DOWN THEN UP, DOWN THEN UP …) (EXPERIENCED BUILDERS)
After reading a book such as Wheel Away by Dayle Ann Dodd, students may become interested in designing ramps with hills (see Photo 6.3). Or the teacher could ask, “Is there a way you can get a marble to go up a ramp?” If the students say no, marbles only roll down, the teacher may counter, “I once saw a kindergarten/1st-/2nd-grader get a marble to go up a ramp. I wonder if you can figure out how he or she did it?” That is all it takes, and they are off!
Materials:
Things that children can vary or change:
Design constraints or things for the teacher to hold constant or the same:
Relationships children have the possibility of making:
Example of a teacher’s introduction:
I’ve noticed some builders say that marbles can only go down ramps. However, I’ve had other builders say they have gotten marbles to go down and up ramps. What do you think? Is there a way you can build a system to get a marble to go up a ramp?
Examples of questions and comments to inspire reasoning:
How could you build a ramp with many hills?
What supports work best for you in building a hill?
Is there a way to build that support without using so many blocks?
Is there a way to make that support sturdier?
How do you know when you make the hill too high?
How do you know when you make the hill too low?
BUILDING WITHIN AN IRREGULARLY SHAPED, CONFINED AREA
(EXPERIENCED BUILDERS)
The book Roberto: The Insect Architect by Nina Laden may inspire discussions about what architects do and what kinds of challenges they face. Professional architects don’t get to make all the decisions when building. They have to use what they are given and have to listen to the person who is paying for the building. Teachers can ask their students if they would like to experience a little of what that might be like and invite them to complete a design task. An example may be directing students to build an R&P structure using a specific number and length of track within an oddly configured space of “real estate” (see Photo 6.4). After blocking out an area of “real estate” on the floor with masking tape, students can be challenged to build a ramp using all the sections given by the teacher within this limited space. To create a need for students to reason about corners, the teacher should choose lengths of track that when combined are too long or numerous to build a linear ramp system within the confined area. This could be used as a way to assess a student’s understanding of the relationships between slope and speed and slope and direction.
Materials:
Things that children can vary or change:
Design constraints or things for the teacher to hold constant or the same:
Relationships children have the possibility of making:
Example of a teacher’s introduction:
We just read about how architects are hired to build for other people, but have to listen closely to build what the people want. They can be creative, but they don’t get to do whatever they want. Do you think that might be hard? Would some of you like to see what that might feel like?
Example of questions and comments to inspire reasoning:
Which piece will start the marble?
Which piece will come next?
Where will you start your marble?
Can you explain where you think the marble will go before you try your ramp out?
How could you fill in any other parts of this area with ramp pieces that work?
If you can’t spread the ramp out any farther, is there a way to add pieces above?
It seems to be going faster here, and here is where it always comes off. I wonder how that could be fixed?
BUILDING VERTICAL RAMPS WITHIN A SMALL CONFINED AREA
(EXPERIENCED BUILDERS IN KINDERGARTEN AND UP)
By taping a narrow rectangle on the floor only slightly longer than a ramp section, builders can be challenged to conceptualize a vertical ramp system (see Photo 6.5). Children often believe the faster the marble goes, the better. However, in building vertical ramps, they may find that slowing the speed of the marble is the best way to build a successful system.
Materials:
Things that children can vary or change:
Design constraints or things for the teacher to hold constant or the same:
Relationships children have the possibility of making:
Example of a teacher’s introduction:
I once had a student figure out how to use both pieces in this small space. How do you suppose this could work?
Questions to inspire reasoning:
If you think about getting the marble to change directions, how can you arrange the ramps?
Can you make just one ramp work?
If you leave that ramp alone, can you build a ramp above it and connect the two so they both work?
Is there a way to add another level?
How many sections high do you suppose you could build your system?
BUILDING RAMPS WITH A FULCRUM AND BALANCE
(EXPERIENCED BUILDERS—TOWARD END OF 1ST GRADE AND UP)
By using a router to cut three grooves on the underside of several ramp sections and putting out triangle unit blocks to act as fulcrums, children are given a rich opportunity to reason about balance and distribution of weight (see Photo 6.6). Cutting three grooves underneath (one in the middle and two about an inch or 2 on either side) allows some choice and flexibility with balance. A groove in the exact middle allows the track to balance evenly. The grooves on either side allow the weight of the track to cause an incline, but as the marble travels up the incline and over the fulcrum, the added weight of the marble can cause the track to tip and create an incline in the opposite direction. This is fascinating to children and adds another level of design challenge.
Materials:
Things that children can vary or change:
Design constraints or things for the teacher to hold constant or the same:
Relationships children have the possibility of making:
Example of a teacher’s introduction:
You are getting pretty good at building interesting ramp systems! I’m wondering how you might build a system with a moving track. [Demonstrate how to place a track on a fulcrum. Let them explore how this works with you.] I’m going to leave these here with the rest of the tracks to see what you can do with them.
Examples of questions and comments to inspire reasoning:
What do you need to think about when you are building this kind of ramp?
Where will the marble land on the track that is balancing?
What do you want the marble to do on the balance track?
Is there a special place you will need to put the balancing track on the fulcrum?
How will your ramp on the fulcrum move when the marble lands on the next ramp?
Where will the marble go after that?
Does it matter where you start your marble?
(After noticing a child has placed blocks restricting any movement of the balance) When your ramp on the fulcrum cannot move, is it a balancing ramp, or is it a regular ramp with a triangle for a support? Is there something you can do to turn it into a balancing ramp?
Can you get another working balancing track into your design?
MATHEMATICS WITHIN RAMPS AND PATHWAYS
The preceding examples of R&P challenges clearly exemplify the vision of the NGSS. Less obvious is the development of mathematics in R&P activities. Traditionally, kindergarten and the primary grades have focused on number. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) recommend that children focus not only on number, but also on describing shapes and space, concepts heavily embedded in the work of R&P:
Students describe their physical world using geometric ideas (e.g., shape, orientation, spatial relations) and vocabulary. They identify, name, and describe basic two-dimensional shapes, such as squares, triangles, circles, rectangles, and hexagons, presented in a variety of ways (e.g., with different sizes and orientations), as well as three-dimensional shapes such as cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres. They use basic shapes and spatial reasoning to model objects in their environment and to construct more complex shapes. (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010b, p. 9)
The CCSS go on to explain kindergartners should be able to describe and compare measureable attributes such as length or weight, and classify objects into categories (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010b). First-graders are further challenged to measure lengths indirectly and by iterating length units, reason with shapes and their attributes, and represent and interpret data (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010b). Second-graders are to examine sides and angles to describe and analyze shapes, decomposing and combining shapes to make other shapes. “Through building and analyzing two-and three-dimensional shapes, students develop a foundation for understanding area, volume, congruence, similarity, and symmetry” (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010b, p. 17). Reading through the previous R&P challenges, one can easily see how these mathematical standards can be presented to children within a context that makes sense to them. Although schools will not immediately see the value of challenging students in spatial thinking through R&P in 1st- or 2nd-grade standardized assessment scores, schools that encourage R&P will benefit in the long run. Longitudinal research suggests that the spatial reasoning developed through block building challenges like R&P in early childhood will predict high mathematics achievement at the 7th grade and high school levels (Casey, Andrews, Schindler, Kersh, & Samper, 2008; Casey, Nuttal, & Pezaris, 1997; Kersh, Casey, & Young, 2008; Wolfgang, Stannard, & Jones, 2001). STEM development starts early.
THE SYNERGY OF STEM AND LITERACY: A PERSONAL STORY
Kindergarten and primary grade teachers are finding it increasingly difficult to allocate instructional time to STEM activities such as R&P because of the pressures to perform well in literacy. My own personal struggle over this issue led me to redesign my classroom arrangement and use of time within the morning literacy block. In the process, I discovered the synergy of STEM and literacy. Adding STEM centers to the classroom did not distract from literacy learning, but instead enhanced it in ways I never imagined (Van Meeteren & Escalada, 2010).
In most kindergarten and primary grade classrooms, the day begins with whole-class literacy instruction and moves into small-group literacy instruction. Teachers often struggle with how to keep all children learning during this small-group instructional time. I met this challenge by offering three categories of activities to children during this block of time: teacher-directed small-group reading instruction, literacy investigations, and STEM investigations. Each category fulfilled different instructional and physical needs of young children. Offerings within each category had to stand up to the criteria: “What is in this activity for children to figure out, and is it worthy and respectful of their time?”
Teacher-directed small-group reading instruction enabled me to carefully focus on individual reading growth and progress. It required children to be intensely focused on problem solving in literacy and was located in a corner of the classroom. The children sat at a table with their backs to the action of the rest of the classroom to shield them from distractions. Sitting on the other side, I was able to survey the action of the whole classroom as I taught.
Nearby, the classroom library was arranged and stocked to inspire investigations into using the tools of reading, writing, viewing, speaking, and listening. Literacy investigations allowed children the space to develop positive literacy habits and skills. Children sat on beanbags or comfortable chairs in the midst of diverse genres of books and read to themselves or one another. They reread poems and songs they had previously enjoyed in whole-class literacy instruction; retold stories using puppets, figures, or flannel boards; or engaged in word work. Writing materials were nearby to allow them to record ideas and questions or compose skits, plays, or their own stories.
Across the room, well-equipped STEM investigations buzzed with activity and answered young children’s need for movement and opportunities to be curious. Children engaged in the practices of science and engineering as they investigated questions in life science, earth and space science, and physical science (the context for R&P investigations). Throughout the STEM investigations area, tools for investigating were accessible and readily available for children (see Figure 6.1). Writing materials were close at hand to allow children to document their thinking, make lists of needed materials, or create signs or messages to inform others what they were learning. Books children found in the classroom library that were pertinent to a specific investigation were placed close by for quick reference. It was an environment that provided purposes for children to use the tools of literacy and, in the process, created a desire within them to learn the tools of literacy.
Every week, I taught small-group reading instruction to specifically address literacy skills such as decoding, comprehension, and recognizing and using punctuation during guided reading. The groups rarely consisted of the same children. The children were divided daily into three sections. One section began in small-group reading instruction, one group in STEM investigations, and one group in literacy investigations. As I finished working with a small reading group, I asked each member what he or she wanted to figure out in the STEM investigations. After articulating a plan, each child went to begin his or her STEM investigation. I documented each child’s intentions to follow his or her development as an independent investigator (see Photo 6.7).
Once the last child left the reading group to work on a STEM investigation, I walked through the classroom and observed the children who had been working in STEM investigations while I’d been teaching. After observing them at work, I had brief conversations with them to determine their conceptual understanding of science and engineering concepts as well as their development in scientific and engineering practices. I jotted notes about their development on Post-its, mailing labels, or in a notebook, and photographed children’s progress with a digital camera. I used this documentation to track each child’s progress in science and engineering practices as well as his or her understanding of disciplinary core ideas. The interactions gave me ideas on what we could discuss as a whole group. I reminded each child that when he or she reached a stopping point in the STEM investigation to clean up the space and move into literacy investigations in the classroom library. Some children began to clean up immediately, and others continued to ponder a problem a bit longer before cleaning up and moving on. Allowing children to wind up their investigations at their own pace enabled them to bring their work to completion, or to a satisfying stopping point. Forcing children who were on the cusp of figuring out a challenge they had been working on for half an hour to abruptly stop and move to a different area of the classroom would have caused unnecessary frustration. Giving children the responsibility of managing their time also helped them learn how to self-regulate their behavior.
After checking on each child in STEM investigations, I moved to the literacy investigations and invited children to join me for small-group reading instruction. Excited to share what they’d been figuring out in the classroom library, they were happy and eager to come to small-group instruction. The room was a productive hum of active learning.
R&P: A Pathway to Literacy
Many states are beginning to use the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010a). These standards state that students need to have many opportunities to engage in conversations as part of a whole class, in small groups, and with partners. “Being productive members of these conversations requires that students contribute accurate, relevant information, respond to and develop what others have said; make comparisons and contrasts; and analyze and synthesize a multitude of ideas in various domains” (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010a), p. 22). R&P investigations provide a landscape where these conversations can occur. Documenting details of these important conversations inspires children to take on the challenge of developing print concepts, phonological awareness, and phonics and word recognition, all foundational skills within the Common Core (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010a). R&P investigations create an eagerness in children to write to share findings, demonstrating an understanding of what they are studying. They collaborate to create pieces of writing that convey their experiences and events, all goals within the Common Core writing standards (National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010a).
Ramps and Pathways and Writers’ Workshop
At the end of the morning, I typically set aside a 45- to 50-minute block for a writers’ workshop. I began this block with a mini-lesson, followed by a period of quiet, individual writing, and concluded with a period of self-selected partner writing where children could use one another for help in spelling, topic choices, or word choice. We ended with a short author session where children, as authors, could share a personal draft or completed piece of writing. R&P investigations provided a context where children felt compelled to use the tool of written language to communicate what they were figuring out, which led to a desire to learn the tool of written language. Their desire to discuss and document their investigations launched meaningful writing mini-lessons that interested the children in writing; encouraged them to explore composition, spelling, and the mechanics of writing; and enabled them to cooperate with classmates to create and polish purposeful pieces of writing. For example, when children were adamant that they needed additional materials, the moment was ripe to launch a lesson on how to compose a list. Heavily invested in the purpose, the children would assist me in the process of composition by sharing their knowledge of phonemes and graphemes and spelling patterns to write the names of the materials on the list. They gave the list a title and directed me in the use of capital letters in the title. After composing the list, children often realized they needed help in acquiring items on the list. Thus, the next mini-lesson became an introduction on writing a letter to parents asking for help in collecting items on the list.
The digital photographs of action going on in the STEM investigations also are helpful in stimulating the desire to write. I often shared photos of what was going on in the R&P and expressed a desire to create a display or documentation board in the hallway for visitors to learn what we were figuring out. The mini-lesson evolved into writing captions for each picture. Children engaged in decisionmaking to sequence the pictures in the display to explain the process of their learning. In addition to assisting me with letter sounds and spelling patterns, children became adept at deciding where periods and capital letters were to be used in the captions.
Digital photographs were also useful in inspiring reluctant writers to write individual pieces. After creating a piece of lined writing paper with a blank space at the top, the paper can be fed through the printer to allow a digital picture of the writer at work in R&P. Referring to the picture at the top, the writer can use the space or lines at the bottom to write about his or her experience at the center. A series of pictures allows the writer to create an information piece that becomes a treasure to both the writer and the caregivers. It is a time capsule of a child’s reasoning in his or her own words at a specific time of life.
When I was curious to find out where the children were in their reasoning, I often used the mini-lesson time to conduct interactive language experience stories based on children’s experiences in the center. During brainstorming sessions, I recorded children’s ideas and explanations of what they observed and understood, such as “Patterns We Noticed at the Ramp Center.” I recorded misconceptions or misunderstandings as well as correct ideas so we could go back to previously written ideas and refine and revise them. This allowed children to understand that exploring science is a continuous learning process. Listening to children’s misconceptions and explanations informed my instructional decisions and helped me create appropriate challenges. It allowed me to structure classroom discussions in ways that helped children confront their misconceptions about the different laws of physics. This gave a real reason to revise their understanding as well as their written records of thinking as they came to a better understanding of physics concepts. Revision became a necessity for the child instead of a requirement of the teacher.
As children became more sophisticated in their reasoning, I often used the mini-lesson to write a class piece on “What We Have Learned at the Ramp Center.” The writing lesson focused on writing for a specific audience and was rich with possibilities for vocabulary expansion. As children offered ideas, they discussed and debated word choices and phrasing to allow the reader to fully understand the purpose of the center and what the children were accomplishing.
CONCLUSION
STEM should not be an exclusive plan of study that begins in upper elementary. Administrators and teachers should be respectful of STEM that already exists within young children’s exploration of the world and support their investigations in STEM through activities such as R&P. Doing so will provide a firm foundation of interest and conceptual understanding for later learning in STEM. Administrators and early childhood teachers who are concerned about literacy achievement can feel secure in knowing that literacy development will flourish in a classroom environment that makes space for STEM and R&P. Ramps and Pathways investigations do not disrupt literacy development; rather, they breathe life and purpose into developing literacy as children speak, write, and read to explain their ideas about how the world works.