A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and
excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision,
that true instinct for what is beautiful and awe-inspiring, is dimmed and
even lost before we reach adulthood. If I had influence with the good
fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children I
should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder
so indestructible that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing
antidote against the boredom and disenchantments of later years . . .
If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder without any such gift
fairies, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share
it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world
we live in.
Rachel Carson

WONDERWORKS
S cience
T echnology
E ngineering
A rt
M ath
Robin Gibson, Youth Librarian
rgibson@westervillelibrary.org
http://cultivatewonder.wordpress.com

COMMON ELEMENTS

FICTION & NON-FICTION
PAIRINGS
Picture Books
Contain information that
can serve as starting points
for investigating a topic
Non-fiction books
Are less utilized for this age
group but present information
in appealing ways

WHY PICTURE BOOKS?
• Fun & engaging preschool audience
• Some students connect more strongly to
fiction
• Stories are a good way to learn
• Some teachers more comfortable with –
already use them

USING NON-FICTION WITH
YOUNG CHILDREN
• Much more engaging than in the past:
illustrations, photographs – very visually
appealing
• Author Melissa Stewart writes that their
“purpose is to delight as well as inform”
• Careful use of language, great read-
alouds

HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES OR
EXPERIMENTS
Book pairs + activities = a more
memorable learning experience
• Open-ended
• Child-centered
• Extend the theme/topic
• Use everyday materials (as
much as possible)
**You don’t have to have a
science background!

OTHER ELEMENTS
Vocabulary
Don’t be afraid of using big
words!
Repetition
Multimedia (videos/apps)
- interactive, supplement
Multiple Learning Styles
• Movement – large
motor skills, physical/
kinesthetic learners
• Songs – aural learners
• Art –visual/kinesthetic
• Experiments – learn by
doing

SCIENCE

Exploring the Natural World -
Animals are always popular

Bats Are Sleeping
(tune: Frere Jacques)
Bats are sleeping
Bats are sleeping
Upside down.
Upside down.
Waiting for the night to come,
Waiting for the night to come,
Then they’ll fly around.
Then they’ll fly around.

https://youtu.be/293bHffb4QE

Weather –
Wind, rain, clouds – all good STEAM storytimes – things children can relate to

Cloud Dough
Mix 1/2 cup baby oil with 4
cups of flour and voila! You
have a sensory concoction
that is crumbly and soft, yet
sticks together when
molded, like wet sand.

Activity 1
Making the invisible
visible

TECHNOLOGY

https://youtu.be/OkH11ZiIL9E

Guidelines for using media with children --opportunities & challenges
2012 NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center Position Statement on Technology
and Interactive Media in Early Childhood Programs
*When used intentionally and appropriately, technology and
interactive media are effective tools to support learning and
development.
*Intentional use requires early childhood teachers and administrators
to have information and resources regarding the nature of these tools
and the implications of their use with children
*Limitations on the use of technology and media are important.
*Special considerations must be given to the use of technology with
infants and toddlers.
*Attention to digital citizenship and equitable access is essential.
*Ongoing research and professional development are needed.

AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) Guidelines
https://twitter.com/AppFairyPodcast
Brand new! From Madison Public Library
A is for App (pinboard from Westerville Public Library)
criteria: engagement
interactivity
cost
culturally relevant

ENGINEERING

Benefits of block play

Everyday materials

Activity 2: Building Towers & Bridges

ART

• Science + art
• Ways of seeing – let eye blend colors (even
frame is pointillist – made of little dots)
• Circles/shapes
• If anywhere near, visit the Topiary Park

• Mathematical precision
• Shapes
• Primary colors

Mondrian studies with crayon
What can you make with a
square??

• “drawing with scissors”
• fine motor skills
• collage – work
cooperatively
Activity 3

MATH

Comparative size:
big, bigger, biggest
small, smaller, smallest

RESOURCES

YOUR LIBRARY!
• Educator card
• STEM Resources for Educators
• Science kits

The future belongs to a very
different kind of person with
a very different kind of mind
– creators and empathizers,
pattern recognizers and
meaning makers. These
people – artists, inventors,
designers, storytellers,
caregivers, consolers, big
picture thinkers – will now
reap society’s richest
rewards and share its
greatest joys.
– Daniel Pink,
A Whole New Mind