STEM
Storytime
Extenders
Amy Koester
Preschool Services Discussion Group
2013 ALA Annual Conference
Why do STEM with preschoolers?
STEM activities…
• promote early literacy skills
development
• engage children’s natural curiosity
• exercise fine motor skills
• are FUN
STEM Activities in Place of a Craft
• Build something useful—it’s
engineering while still feeling like a
craft
• Set out STEM tools for kids to
explore
Have a science table for free play
Magnifying glasses and specimens, magnet wands and magnetic objects,
and a balance scale with objects to weigh make for great hands-on STEM
exploration.
STEM Activities as the Main Event
• Build a story time around a STEM
concept
• Spend at least half the program
engaged in hands-on experiments
and activities
Offer hands-on experiments for concept learning
There are a plethora of ideas for preschool-friendly STEM experiments
and activities in your non-fiction collection (start with Janice Vancleave’s
titles), on teacher and librarian blogs, and on Pinterest.
STEM Activities To Go
• Take-home STEM activity sheets
• “Make it, Take it” stations with STEM
projects
Invite families to do STEM at home.
Write up STEM activity instructions on a handout, or prep basic supplies
to distribute in brown paper bags. Make it easy for caregivers to do STEM
with their kids at home.
Links to more ideas and resources
online
akoester@stchlibrary.org
@amyeileenk
http://showmelibrarian.blogspot.com