Saracho, Olivia, & Spodek, Bernard. (Eds.) (2008). Contemporary perspectives on science and technology in early childhood education Reviewed by Deborah A. Ceglowski, Ball State University

Saracho, Olivia, & Spodek, Bernard. (Eds.) (2008).Contemporary perspectives on science and technology in early childhood education Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing Pp. xvi + 186         ISBN 9781593116354 Reviewed by Deborah A. Ceglowski Ball State University November 29, 2008 The purpose of this book is to provide a “critical analysis of the review of the research on science and technology” in the field of early childhood education (Saracho & Spodek, 2008, p. viii). Edited by Olivia Saracho and Bernard Spodek, the volume, one in the series, Contemporary Perspectives in Early Childhood, is divided into two sections: part 1 focuses on science and part 2 on technology. The book begins with an overview written by the editors that presents the main issues related to technology and science in early childhood education. These include: Benchmarks for science literary (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1993); the relationship between science and technology, technological literacy, and developmentally appropriate approaches to technology. There are three chapters on science and early childhood education. “Early childhood science process skills: social and developmental considerations” by Ithel Jones, Vickie Lake, and Miranda Lin begins with an overview of Piaget’ theory of child development and its relationship to science education. It is important for teachers to design “learning experiences that help students learn about the nature of scientific inquiries” (Jones et. al, 2008, p. 20). The processing skills that children can acquire and develop include observation, classifying, measuring, communicating, estimating and predicting, and inferring. Young children can also learn the steps in basic scientific inquiry and utilize them during scientific investigations. Peer teaching and positive interactions with teachers are critical components to a quality early childhood science program. “Knowledge acquisition as conceptual change: The case of theory of biology” by Grady Venville is based on the premise that “the concept of life is a fundamental aspect of developing a theory of biology and the process by which this takes place is conceptual change” (p. 42, 2008). Children begin with limited and often unrelated bits of biological knowledge and through the process of conceptual change learning, children develop more sophisticated and integrated approaches to understanding biology. The author then poses assertions about conceptual change: 1)four-to five-year old children develop concepts about the nature of biology which change over time; 2) classroom discussion among peers and between children and adults helps children to develop biological theories; 3) children with a developed theory of biology benefit more from classroom instruction than peers without a developed theory; 4)children’s linguistic and cultural backgrounds effect their understanding of biological principles; 5) children can simultaneously believe in a scientific and non-scientific explanation regarding a biological phenomena; and 6) it is easier to influence children’s biological beliefs than their framework theories. “Affect and early childhood science education” by Michalinos Zembylas poses that motivation, interest, and prior experiences are key elements for children’s developing and sustaining an interest in science. The chapter explores the historical roots of the disjuncture of affect and science education and concludes that new research in affective learning has direct implications for science education. The four chapters on technology begin with “New technologies in early childhood: partners in play?” by Doris Bergen that focuses on robotic toys and computer software. For infants and toddlers the developmental impact is not well studied; however, the American Pediatric Association issued a recommendation for no screen time for children under two-years-old. During the preschool years, there is not sufficient evidence to suggest that technological materials are more advantageous than traditional preschool materials and at the elementary school level there are several studies that indicate that these two types of technologies may have a positive impact on student learning. By far, the most promising use is for children with disabilities. In addition to the two methods investigated in this article, the author notes that many other forms of technological support are effective in supporting young children with disabilities. “Engineering and storytellers: Using robotic manipulative to develop technological fluency in early childhood” by Marina Bers describes a study of young children utilizing Lego Mindstorms Robotic Invention Kit (consisting of a computer program and specialized Lego block with an imbedded computer chip). Children can design robots on the computer and then build them with the Lego kit. The author includes narratives from first and second graders about the robots they construct and argues that such Lego kits are critical for young children to develop an understanding robots and computer technology. Computer assisted instruction is explored in “Mathematics and technology: supporting learning for students and teachers” by Douglas Clements and Julie Sarama. Research supports the effectives of this approach if children are: 1) provided sufficient time, 2) engage in multi-modal learning experiences, 3) have software that is sequential; and 4) receive feedback about their progress. Computer manipulatives can be used for mathematical instruction but in any use of mathematical technology, it is essential that teachers receive ongoing professional development and support. “Vocabulary learning by computer in kindergarten: The possibilities of interactive vocabulary books” by Eliane Segers and Anne Vermeer describes two computer programs developed for kindergarten children who are Dutch language learners. The programs consist of short stories comprised of high frequency words−children answer questions about the content and correctly sequence pictures that depict the stories. There are also games that children can select that contain the same high frequency words. Research indicates that the software packages assist young Dutch language learners in developing language fluency. The last chapter in the book, written by the editors, reviews the research on science and technology and proposes a policy and research agenda in these areas that includes developing updated guidelines for educationally and developmentally appropriate approaches in technology and a national initiative for teaching science in early childhood programs. Readers interested in research on young children in the areas of science and technology will find this book helpful. The authors present a review of pertinent studies. However, some of the research is based upon older elementary school-aged children and the application of this work to younger children is problematic. Several of the authors address current issues in early childhood education such as young children with disabilities (Bergen), young language learners (Segers & Vermeer), technology use for children under two (Bergen; Saracho & Spodek) and partnerships with families (Bers). The Bergen article highlights the successful use of simple and complex forms of technology for young children with disabilities. The Segers and Vermeer study utilizes several computer programs to teach Dutch to young children; however, the approach does not offer bilingual support for young children−arguably the most effective way to teach young children a second language. Bergen and Saracho and Spodek mention the American Pediatric Association’s statement advocating no screen time for children under two years of age but none of the authors review the research related to this statement or current research that found some infant/toddler video programs have a negative impact on certain aspects of infant development. Bers mentions family involvement at the end of the article but does not include a discussion about the research related to home learning. This is particularly salient given the work of the (Banks group) and their findings that children’s knowledge is formed primarily from what they learn in home and community settings, not school. This is particularly relevant for the multi-lingual, multi-cultural population of young children enrolled in American early childhood programs. My favorite chapter, written by Michalinos Zembylas, explores the relationship between science education and affect. Zembylas makes a compelling case that dispositions towards learning are as important as the content itself− in this case, scientific knowledge. This chapter bridges the gap between the widespread belief that early childhood education focuses all aspects of child development through integrated teaching with some of the recent research that supports the relationship between affect and learning. About the Reviewer Deborah A. Ceglowski is an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.