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Integrating the VPK Domains Through Science

Using children’s fascination with their world to foster the VPK domains

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Many teachers find science scary and difficult to handle in preschool. Many do not realize that their daily classroom explorations give children an authentic, solid foundation for future critical thinking and scientific investigations.

Young children are curious about the world around them. They want answers to “how” and “why.” As teachers, we can foster our children’s curiosity about science by having conversations, reading books, and letting them observe and explore the world around them. This helps them find out how things in their environment work. Science for children is a creative and exploratory process in which they can use many forms of knowledge to build theories about their world.

I grew up on a farm and became fascinated by everything around me. This is where my love for Science comes from.

In 2005, after 24 years of teaching Spanish, Science, and Social Studies to elementary children, I became one of the first teachers to start the Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK) in Florida. I became fascinated with this age group and learned more about the domains and how to integrate them.

My goal for this article is to give you an overview of how to do that in an effortless, fun way.

What are VPK domains?

The Office of Early Learning defines the domains as “areas of development; they are a useful way to look at the developmental progression of related skills and abilities of children.”

I.   Physical Development

The Physical Development domain refers to children’s physical development, including gross and fine motor skills and sensory development.

II.  Approaches to Learning

The Approaches to Learning domain refers to children’s emerging skills and behaviors as they engage in learning.

III.   Social and Emotional Development

The Social and Emotional Development domain refers to children’s emerging abilities to experience, express, and manage emotions, and to establish positive and rewarding relationships with others.

• Work with a friend to recreate a beehive using blocks.
• Prepare “Ants on a log” or another snack in small groups.
• Discuss how bugs make them feel.

IV.   Language and Literacy

The Language and Literacy domain refers to children’s emerging abilities to understand and use language, and the knowledge and skills that are the base for reading and writing.

V.   Mathematical Thinking

The Mathematical Thinking domain refers to children’s emerging abilities to acquire and use strategies to perceive, understand, and solve mathematical problems. 

VI.   Scientific Inquiry

The Scientific Inquiry domain refers to children’s emerging abilities to acquire and use strategies to perceive, understand, and solve scientific problems. 

VII.   Social Studies

The Social Studies domain refers to children’s emerging sense of self-identity and how people relate to one another in society. 

VIII.   Creative Expression Through the Arts

Creative Expression Through the Arts domain refers to children’s emerging modes of thought and self-expression. It also gives children ways to learn and use skills in other domains.

If you want to learn more about the domains or areas of development, including each domain’s components, sub-components, standards, and benchmarks, the Office of Early Learning has clear explanations HERE.

Why Using Science is a Good Way to Integrate the Domains?

A preschool teacher can use science activities and research as a daily experience, which is also a great way to build oral vocabulary, develop reading readiness, and fuel literacy development. However, science activities must be hands-on, engaging, uncomplicated, and fun. They should consider that preschoolers learn and understand best when they can see, touch, feel, and safely manipulate materials.

Dr. Laura Martin, Director of Science Interpretation at the Arizona Science Center, says: “Science is a way to find out about the world through exploration. Children are investigators by nature. When you nurture children’s natural desire to investigate, you help them develop scientific minds. We create environments that engage the senses of young children and allow them to sort and classify, handle, observe, build, and ask questions, which is how they construct ideas about the physical and natural world.”

“Children acquire scientific knowledge by ‘construction,’ not by instruction (Kamii & Lee-Katz, 1983). They must create an explanation of observed phenomena or the outcomes of the experiments internally—an explanation that holds personal meaning” (Trawick-Smith, p. 203).

Science Approach versus Literacy Approach

Some professionals believe language and literacy should be the focus in preschool, but I think language and literacy learning must be about something that makes sense to children; therefore, it should be part of a coherent, integrated curriculum that considers all the VPK domains.

Many researchers have found that children learn language and literacy skills more easily when they can use these skills in real situations (Goodman 1984; Teale & Sulzby 1984).

Now, the question is… how can preschool teachers use Science to integrate the domains in the VPK classroom?. The answer is that Science can be incorporated into many, if not most, of the activities that they already do. Using curiosity and wonder brings Science learning to life. This also helps children develop concepts and supports higher levels of instruction.

How to use Science to Integrate the VPK Domains?

I understand that for some teachers, basing a lesson plan on scientific thinking can be challenging, but this approach doesn’t have to be used all the time or every day. My love for Science and my experience as a VPK teacher for many years have taught me that certain lessons just beg to be taught through science, like those related to animals, weather, and seasons.

I think a good way to show you how to tie the domains through Science is using a theme like “Bugs”, for example. The next ideas will give you good and easy examples of how to do it:

1. Physical Development

• Fly (dance) buzzing like bees.
• Hop like a grasshopper.
• Have a race jumping like grasshoppers.
• Provide Word Wall cards and have them copy the bug names.
• Buzz like a bee, flutter like a butterfly, or crawl like a caterpillar.

2. Approaches to Learning

• Talk about the characteristics of both insects and their personal experiences.
• Create a KWL chart about bugs.

3. Social-Emotional

• Work with a friend to recreate a beehive using blocks.
• In small groups, prepare “Ants on a log” or a snack.
• Discuss how bugs make them feel.

4. Language and Literacy

• Read books about bugs.
• Spell the word bee.
• Write a group story about a bug.
• Write the name of a bug.
• Sing kids’ songs about bugs and insects.
• Clap the syllables of the bugs’ names.
• Copy the word fly using magnetic, wooden, or foam letters.

5. Mathematical Thinking

• Count how many bugs are in the Counting Jar.
• Observe a real bee with magnifying glasses and count its legs.
• Use pattern blocks to recreate a beehive.
• Discuss children’s favorite bugs and make a chart.
• Play the “How Many Am I Hiding?” game.

6. Scientific Inquiry

• Make a word web about bugs.
• Compare bees and wasps.
• Discuss facts about different bugs.
• Name the insect body parts.
• Discuss the characteristics of insects.
• Raise butterflies.
• Sort bugs into two piles: insects and other bugs.
• Study ants’ habitat with an ant farm.
• Bring a real Earthworm to class to observe.

7. Social Studies

• Visit the local butterfly garden.
• Invite an entomologist to visit the preschool and talk about his work.

8. Creative Expression Through Arts

• Make coffee filter butterflies.
• Make a sculpture of a spider with play-dough.
• Paint ladybugs using balloons and cotton swabs.
• Create a spider web with a paper plate and yarn.
• Draw your favorite bug.
• Create a spider with egg cartons and pipe cleaners.

Conclusion

Science in the VPK classroom does not have to be complicated or used every day. It does not have to be scary or over the top. I believe Science is a useful tool to tie up all the domains in the VPK classroom, simply because of a child’s natural fascination for his or her world.

And you probably already know it is very hard to create a learning environment when a child is bored or not interested. Students like to have fun while learning, so the process has to have meaning for them.

When teachers increase their knowledge of preschool science, they will become more comfortable using it to develop lesson plans. It is also great to encourage students to become actively involved in exploring and investigating things, in and out of the classroom. This will increase student engagement, language use, and language skills, as well as more positive peer interactions.

Be happy, safe, and creative. I wish you well.

Love,

P.S. If you like this article, please share it and let me know if you try some of these activities and what happens. I am very interested in what you have to say. Thank you!

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