The article in the magazine, Early Childhood Today, Helping Young Children Find & Use Information, by Warren Buckleitner (2007), presents information about how to be prepared for young students and the inquiry process. Children this age can have their interests sparked at any time with any thing. The example of finding a cricket on the playground specified. Having materials on hand is first. An information-friendly classroom is important including a variety of tools for exploring, recording, and representing a subject.
Recording devices, such as tablets or small ones like an iPod are good with which to begin. They are also able to record sounds. Measuring tools are next for making note of items like leaves, insects, or longer distances such as how far will a particular ball roll compared to another. The article also explains how a digital weather station for outside temperatures, wind speed, or rainfall can be charted or graphed daily.
Tools are just the beginning for being prepared for the inquiry process of young children, but to expand upon information an adequate library with developmentally appropriate picture books need to have on hand for quick access. A device such as a computer or tablet for Internet access is also necessary for videos or interactive activities for knowledge expansion.
Interpreting information is listed next in the article. Simple items such as paper, pencils, crayons, clay, etc. need to be available for making sketches of the new discoveries. Graph paper for charting weather, number of chirps per minute of a cricket, or the height of all the children in the classroom make it fun for interpreting inquiry investigation.
Making time to use all of the tools and materials listed above is vital. Teachers should create a routine in order for students to explore and interpret findings. Small group time also allows students to share ideas or pursue individual work.
Practicing and modeling the art of questioning are needed, too. Well-timed and open-ended questions should be on topic and at the child's developmental level. Let the students interview one another about the objective. One interesting question given as an example in the article is to ask "not" questions. For example, "Where are some places crickets don't live," is provided.
The article also gives examples of products that can be used within each subject area to aid with learning more about each objective.
Before reading this article, I had some ideas of my own. In the pre-K arena, it is my own personal opinion that children should be moving around more than sitting at a desk during a typical day, so having a specific textbook curriculum is not my first choice. A reading and math program that allows for movement or a very short time span for sitting to allow the teacher to make a brief assessment should be in place, but most of the day should be for free play and sporadic meaningful learning opportunities. Maybe the teacher can plant a learning opportunity for the students?
I am a fan of the inquiry process and happy to have come across this article for the lower grades.
Buckleitner, Warren. "Helping Young Children Find & Use Information."Early Childhood Today 21.6 (2007): 32-41. Academic Search Premier. Web. 24 May 2015.