Teacher Erica:
Teacher Erica has five years of experience working in children’s enrichment, and has taught classes for newborns through twelve-year-olds. She began teaching babies and toddlers at the same play space that she visited as a child where an amazing group of experienced art, music, gym, SpEd, and reading teachers taught her about early childhood education. This is where she learned that while these activities are fun for children and their families, they’re an incredibly important part of a child’s physical and mental development. Since then, her passion for teaching recreational classes has only grown deeper, as she’s seen the positive effect these classes have on children, families, and communities.
Why it’s great:
S.T.E.A.M. stands for science, tools/ technology, engineering, arts, & math. Keep reading to learn why S.T.E.A.M. based activities are so important and how they are integrated into my lesson plans.
These lessons meet children where they are developmentally. We support our budding scientists by focusing on comparative thinking, such as noting paints that are lighter, darker, or brighter than each other, or strings that are longer, shorter, scratchier, softer, thinner or thicker than one another.
The T in S.T.E.A.M. typically stands for “technology,” but Steam Engines Learning Co. takes note of the American Academy of Pediatrics‘ recommendation that children ages 2-5 years old have no more than an hour of screen use each day. Choosing not to include technology in these art lesson plans, allows parents to use screen time as a tool at home without the worry of overusing screens.
Steam Engines Learning Co. uses “tools” in place of “technology.” Around 24-30 months old, according to findings by the American Association of Pediatrics, is when children begin using tools to solve a problem or complete a task (such as using a stool to reach something, or using a spoon to feed themselves). We use tools such as eyedroppers and tweezers, in order to complement and help fine-tune these skills.
The age-appropriate engineering concept that we work with in class is the idea that everything is made of shapes. A project based around this concept will start with children being shown an example of what we’ll be making, and asked to point out the shapes they see. Next, they’ll get glue, some pre-cut shapes, and a piece of construction paper to glue the shapes down to. Explaining to children where each shape goes to make a particular image supports their ability to understand spatial relations between objects.
The A stands for art! It’s a method for getting the S.T.E.M. concepts into little-guys’ little brains- and a great one at that. It’s said that children who are actively engaged in what they’re learning (rather than hearing or reading about it) have an easier time understanding the concepts.
Math is included in Steam Engines Learning Co.’s lesson plans through the use of patterns, symmetry, and quantity. According to this article by The Education Hub, a child’s understanding of these concepts in their early years can affect their math abilities later in life- up to 11-years-old. In class, we might paint a half of a shape and fold it over the unpainted half to make both sides match, decorate an animal with stripes, or decorate trees with a certain amount of branches, leaves, and flowers.
What else?
Steam Engines Learning Company teaches enriching classes for toddlers up to five years old. These classes require guardian attendance and varying levels of participation. Lesson plans are designed to be fun and developmentally appropriate. Classes are a safe space for parents to bring all the mess, noise, and silliness that comes with having little ones around. (This is because a more open-ended, lenient, and playful learning environment is shown to enhance children’s learning abilities.) I plan to add class dates and times regularly, especially classes that fit into working parents’ schedules. Follow Steam Engines Learning Co on Instagram or Eventbrite to stay up to date!