Making STEM Meaningful: Developmentally Appropriate Practices in Early Childhood Classrooms

By Melissa Johnson, Ed.S.

In today’s changing world, preparing young children for a future of innovation is more important than ever. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) play a critical role in development, even in early childhood. For educators, the key is to introduce STEM concepts in ways that are joyful, engaging, and appropriate for children’s developmental stages. Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP), a framework from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), ensures that STEM activities align with children’s unique needs, abilities, and cultural backgrounds.

What Is Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP)?

DAP emphasizes teaching strategies that promote optimal learning for young children. It focuses on three main areas:

1. Commonality: Understanding child development and learning milestones for specific ages.

2. Individuality: Recognizing each child’s unique strengths, interests, and learning styles.

3. Context: Valuing the cultural, social, and familial factors that influence learning.

With these principles, educators can design meaningful experiences that balance exploration and intentional teaching.

Why Is STEM Important for Young Learners?

STEM learning naturally starts early. Infants and toddlers experiment with cause and effect when they shake a rattle or stack blocks. Preschoolers practice engineering skills when they build ramps for toy cars or create structures with blocks. These simple, hands-on experiences build foundational skills in critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. STEM for young children is not about advanced science experiments or complex math formulas. Rather, it encompasses sparking curiosity, encouraging exploration, and helping children build skills through everyday play.

How to Integrate STEM Using DAP Principles

Educators can introduce STEM naturally in the classroom through these strategies:

1. Promote Exploration Through Play: Play is the foundation of early learning. Educators should provide open-ended materials like blocks, water, or natural items that allow children to experiment and problem-solve. For example:

• Science: Use magnifying glasses to explore leaves or bugs. Ask, “What do you notice?” or “Why do you think it looks this way?”

• Technology: Let children explore tools like pulleys, flashlights, or balance scales.

• Engineering: Challenge children to build a structure or create a bridge using blocks.

• Math: Incorporate counting, measuring, and sorting into play or daily routines like snack time or outdoor exploration.

2. Support Learning Through Intentional Interactions: Educators play a key role in expanding learning by observing children and offering support. For example:

• If a block tower keeps falling, ask, “How could you make it stronger?”

• During water play, introduce concepts like floating and sinking: “Why does this object float but not that one?”

Through thoughtful questions and encouraging new vocabulary, educators deepen children’s understanding and help them make connections.

3. Encourage Collaboration: STEM naturally promotes teamwork. Group activities teach children to share ideas, communicate, and problem-solve together. For instance:

• Work together to build a ramp for toy cars, testing designs and improving them.

• Observe plants growing under different conditions and share discoveries as a group.

These experiences build both STEM and social-emotional skills.

4. Focus on Process Rather than Product: In STEM play, the process matters as much as the result. Celebrate effort, exploration, and problem-solving, even when experiments fail. For example:

• If a child’s tower collapses, ask, “What did you learn?”

• During an experiment, focus on predictions and observations rather than outcomes.

This approach builds resilience, curiosity, and a love for learning.

5. Use Daily Routines for STEM Learning: STEM opportunities are everywhere, even in daily routines. For example:

• Count snacks or divide fruit equally during snack time.

• Ask, “What happens when we mix water and juice?”

• Challenge children to build snack structures using items like pretzels and marshmallows.

These moments help children recognize that STEM is part of their everyday lives.

Overcoming Common Challenges

Many educators feel uncertain about teaching STEM. Here are ways to build confidence:

• Start small. You don’t need to be a STEM expert—be curious and explore with children.

• Use everyday materials. Simple items like cardboard, sticks, and rocks can inspire STEM activities.

• Integrate STEM into routines. No need for separate lessons; just weave it into play and exploration.

The Impact of Early STEM

When STEM learning is developmentally appropriate, children gain valuable skills in problem-solving, teamwork, and critical thinking. They become confident explorers, eager to ask questions, test ideas, and learn from mistakes. Most importantly, they experience the joy of discovery—a feeling that fosters lifelong learning.

Conclusion

Introducing STEM in early childhood is not about advanced concepts; it is about nurturing curiosity and foundational skills. By using Developmentally Appropriate Practice, educators can create joyful, engaging environments where children thrive. Together, we can inspire the next generation of thinkers and innovators—one discovery at a time.

Melissa L. Johnson, Ed.S., is a dedicated early childhood education professional with a passion for shaping the future of young learners and those that serve them. Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, Melissa has extensive experience working with early childhood programs, from curriculum development to teacher training. Melissa's goal is to empower teachers and caregivers with the tools they need to make a lasting impact on children’s early education.