STEM Starts Early: Grounding Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education in Early Childhood. Executive Summary

Tomorrow's inventors and scientists are today's curious young children--as long as those children are given ample chances to explore and are guided by adults equipped to support them. "STEM Starts Early" is the culmination of a deep inquiry by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and New America embarked on an exploratory project, funded by the NSF, to: (1) better understand the challenges to and opportunities in STEM learning as documented in a review of early childhood education research, policy, and practice; (2) make recommendations to help stimulate research and policy agendas; and (3) encourage collaboration between pivotal sectors to implement and sustain needed changes. Prominent early STEM researchers, policy makers, and teacher educators were interviewed to gain perspectives from stakeholders in each of the early childhood areas. Next, two focus groups were conducted with teachers, one with child care and preschool educators and one with early elementary school teachers. The insight gained from these interviews and focus groups shaped the focus of this report. This executive summary highlights the findings and recommendations from this research. [This executive summary was written with contributions from Peggy Ashbrook and Cindy Hoisington. For the full report, see ED574402.]