SCIENCE, YOUNG CHILDREN, AND PLAY: A REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS

Author: Yi-Huang Shih

ABSTRACT

Preschool teachers should recognize play as a central pathway through which young children understand and interpret the world challenges conventional curriculum design. Instead of asking how to “use play to teach science,” educators are encouraged to ask how children’s ways of being, knowing, and relating can be honored within scientific inquiry. Such an approach foregrounds children’s agency, respects their subjectivity, and positions early childhood science education as a space of democratic, relational learning.

Keywords: Science Education, Problem-Solving Skills, Young Children

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