Young learners are natural engineers, ready to innovate and eager to explore the world around them. Extending our curricula offerings to the youngest learners and creating an engineering design process for the preschool classroom seemed like a natural next step for EiE. Our newest curricula, Wee Engineer and EiE for Kindergarten, are picking up press With our recent feature in T.H.E. Journal, we were reminded how much we couldn’t have created our newest offerings without our closest collaborators: educators! Every EiE unit undergoes multiple rounds of pilot testing to ensure that educators can implement engineering with ease. Our pilot educators teach in a variety of settings and have varying levels of experience with engineering. With their feedback and guidance, we’ve learned so much about how to design hands-on engineering activities for preschoolers and kindergartners. Hear from these passionate educators, download free sample lessons from Wee Engineer and EiE for Kindergarten, and create a generation of problem solvers.
“My Kids Can Do Anything”
When Boston Public Schools introduced STEM into their schedule, K-2 educator Dana Romanczyk was excited but nervous. She had never taught STEM to kindergartners before. She wasn’t sure she had the background knowledge to teach it successfully or that her students would excel in their new subject areas. That all changed after she saw the tremendous impact of early engineering in the classroom. Watch as she describes a powerful moment during an EiE for Kindergarten engineering design challenge where one young English Language learner wow’ed his entire class.
“A lot of my kids who I thought were going to struggle were the ones who were shining the brightest. It made me believe that my kids can do anything.”
Dana Romanczyk
EiE for Kindergarten inspires young learners to embrace the field of engineering before stereotypes about “who can engineer” take hold. A teacher-tested curriculum that introduces engineering and the engineering design process in engaging and accessible ways for all young learners and educators. Two hands-on units align to kindergarten engineering performance expectations and connect with other subject areas to prepare children for success in later grades.
“I Love that Pre-K is Not Being Left Out”
Pre-K educator, Sioux Wereska knew engineering would be a perfect fit for preschoolers. “They start as engineers. They’re primed for engineering before they even get to us…They’ve already been figuring out, ‘How can I get the cookies off the cookie shelf that’s way up there?” Age-appropriate engineering design challenges channel preschoolers’ natural creativity into structured problem solving, using a three-step engineering design process (EDP). Listen to Sioux Wereska explain why she thinks engineering “makes sense” for preschoolers.
“I think if you are not embracing [engineering] and fostering that, then you’re missing a wonderful opportunity for all future learning.” Sioux Wereska.
Designed as the first preschool engineering curriculum, Wee Engineer sets young learners up for success in school and life. Wee Engineer is designed to build a strong foundation of problem solving and critical thinking that will prepare learners for success in school and life. With Wee Engineer, show children that anyone, even the youngest learners, can engineer.
