The Importance of STEM in Early Education: How to Get Started

If you’re looking to get your child involved in a STEM program, now is the time! STEM plays a pivotal role in early education because of the many benefits it provides. At MakerKids, we offer a variety of STEM programs for children in first grade and beyond. As children get introduced to the exciting world of STEM, they can hone their skills and see all that STEM has to offer. School districts, like Ontario, have recognized the many benefits STEM has to offer and more and have incorporated STEM into their curriculum.

As we embark on a new school year, we’re going to share some of the many benefits of a STEM education as well as how you can get your child started.

Benefits of an Early STEM Education

Encourages a Love of Learning

STEM lessons help to encourage a love of learning, promoting a strong base for success in and out of the classroom. STEM fosters a child’s curiosity, encouraging them to always want to find out more. It also helps them to develop early problem-solving skills.

Hands-On Learning

STEM often involves project-based, hands-on learning projects. This can include building, using technology, or working on group projects. This is not only fun for students but also helps to make lessons more memorable.

Memory Retention

STEM topics can also help with memory retention. Experiential learning which is involved in STEM has been shown to have an 80 to 90% retention rate. This is far greater than is seen with other education methods. Through STEM education, children learn and retain knowledge that they can use as a base as they older.

Language Development

Taking STEM classes can help a child’s language develop as it expands a child’s vocabulary. Children learn that they have to communicate with each other as they learn and explore.

Builds Resilience

STEM helps to build resilience. Kids learn how to deal with failure when something doesn’t work out right and how to keep on trying. It’s this type of resilience that proves to be important as kids get older. STEM teaches kids that it’s okay to try again and sometimes the best answer doesn’t always come in the first try.

These benefits are great examples of why STEM should be included in early education.

How to Get Children Started with STEM

Teach Through Play

There are many STEM toys and games that can be used to teach STEM concepts to students. It can be something as simple as using building blocks to play. Young children may not even realize that they are learning STEM topics as they play.

As they get older, they can try coding projects that can teach them how to build their own games as well as experiment with Minecraft as a STEM learning tool.

Nature-Based Activities

Get outside and let children observe and interact with different environments, this can teach children about how science is a part of their everyday lives. As the new school year begins, encourage children to get outside after school and participate in nature walks to experience the world around them.

STEM Classes

STEM classes are an excellent way to introduce children to STEM. Through coding, robotics, and more, children can see how interactive STEM is. They can begin to develop skills that they can carry with them their entire lives.

At MakerKids, we offer STEM classes for children in the areas of coding, robotics, and Minecraft.

In our coding classes, kids learn everything they need to code their own games. This includes topics like animation, character development, level design, and beta testing.

Our robotics classes teach kids how to wire up circuits, make virtual lights work, and code a virtual “robot brain”.

We also use the Minecraft game, to teach kids STEM topics like robotics and coding. They quickly learn how much STEM is a part of this popular game.

Our Mini-Makers classes are geared to kids in grades 1-2. They introduce little ones to the world of STEM. They get to learn about robotics and coding as well as how to design their own video game, make robots, and try other experiments.

Contact Us!

Contact MakerKids today to learn more about our STEM classes and how they can enrich your child’s life this school year and beyond. We are currently running a promotion of 40% off the first month of classes now until August 31^st. Don’t miss out!