Continued from TSI E-Newsletter #6

Introduction

Social studies is the study of people--how people live, work, get along with others, solve problems, shape, and are shaped by their surroundings. Learning about social studies begins at birth. The people preschoolers know best are themselves, their families, and the people in their communities. Young children begin to learn social studies by forming relationships, learning to communicate, and exploring the world around them. As they do these things, they are forming understandings that relate to geography, civics, economics, and history.

National and state standards have been written for many of the various fields of social studies--history, geography, economics, civics. In this article, we have identified the big ideas from the various social studies standards documents and made them relevant for preschool-aged children.

Responding to Developmental Characteristics in Social Studies

Being well-grounded in child development is important in thinking about what social studies should look like in a preschool classroom. Key points to consider about three- to five-year-olds are the following:

• They see things primarily from their point of view (egocentric)
• They live in the here and now. They understand time in terms of today, yesterday, tomorrow, this morning, etc.
• They gain a deeper understanding of new concepts through their involvement in socio-dramatic play
• They generalize, often from one experience, by noticing relationships between events and objects
• They learn best when experiences are meaningful and relevant to their own lives
• They are developing a sense of fairness and rules
• They are developing the ability to work cooperatively with others

Having these understandings in mind will help guide the decisions you make about social studies in your classroom.

How Preschool Children Explore Social Studies

The skills children acquire as they investigate topics in social studies teach them how to be researchers: to ask questions, to seek information, and to think about what they discover. Researchers go through a process using the following skills:

• Ask a question or identify a problem
• Gather information
• Analyze information
• Draw conclusions

Drawing upon children's interests and using the surrounding community as the "textbook" for learning, children have many rich opportunities to develop these process skills. A child's curiosity about where the garbage truck takes the trash might lead to further investigations and problem-solving about the environment or recycling.

The Teacher's Role

When the social studies curriculum is viewed as an opportunity to research and explore topics in the child's immediate world, it becomes very important for the teacher to consider children's interests. The teacher's role in helping children to explore social studies is to:

1. Observe and document children's learning during play
2. Watch and listen carefully for the topics that are emerging. What topics are worthy of expanding and supporting?
3. Find out what children know and want to know about the topic
4. Support children's play by adding props, books, and other materials that will enhance their play
5. Engage in conversations with children as they play, or as they reflect on their play, to expand their thinking
6. Guide children to represent their thinking in many different ways--using blocks, clay, paint, markers, crayons, woodworking, collage, and writing

The Content of Social Studies in Preschool

Children begin at infancy learning about geography--exploring physical space by crawling, climbing, digging and splashing. When preschoolers maneuver a piece around a board game like Candyland, figure out how to ride around a tricycle path, or draw a treasure map, they are using beginning mapping skills. Preschoolers learn about civics as they begin to cooperate with others and communicate their wants and needs in a classroom setting and on the playground. They begin to think about economics through actual and pretend visits to the supermarket, the doctor, the hardware store, and the shoe store. They learn about people at work and play.

And history is about changes that take place over time. The past to a preschooler may be what happened this morning or yesterday. You teach history each time you talk about the everyday events and routines that have happened in the classroom. Children learn about time from the daily, predictable routines you establish--a story before rest time, circle time after interest areas, and outdoor play after lunch.

Children in preschool learn about social studies firsthand. Belonging to a classroom community offers opportunities to live, work, and share with others. In such an environment, children learn the rudiments for living in a democratic society.

Spatial or Geographic Thinking

Geographical thinking begins with understanding space, becoming aware of the characteristics of the places where you live, and thinking about that place's location in relation to other places. In preschool, children can study the physical characteristics of their world--the sandbox area, the slides, the swings, and the grassy area by the tree--and talk about how to navigate in it. They can talk about mapping by discussing directions--how to get to the bathroom, the playground, the carpool line. They can recreate their neighborhood in the block area and draw or paint maps of places they visit. The goal is for children to begin to understand that maps represent actual places.

People and How They Live

Learning about people means recognizing physical characteristics; noticing similarities and differences in habits, homes, and work; thinking about family structures and roles; and recognizing how people rely on each other for goods and services. Preschool children can begin to explore these ideas by studying themselves and their families and thinking about rules in the classroom and how they help people live together and get along.

People and the Environment

People affect the environment by changing it--building cities, making roads, building a highway or dam--and by protecting it--cleaning up a park, recycling, saving some green space from development. In preschool, children can explore the area near their homes or school to learn more about the local environment. 

People and the Past

While an adult understanding of chronological time is essential to understanding history, preschool children are focused on the here and now. They can begin to learn about time in relation to themselves. They can talk about their daily schedule, what they did yesterday, and what they will do tomorrow. Preschool children love to consider what they can do now that they couldn't do when they were "babies." They can appreciate stories about other times and places if the topics are relevant to their own experiences.

Conclusion

Guiding children's learning of the knowledge, skills, and processes of social studies will pave the way for them to live in a democratic society. When they learn concepts through meaningful, relevant, firsthand experiences that are interesting, they have made a good beginning to their learning about social studies.

Related Resources

Dodge, D. T., & Bickart, T. S. (1998). Preschool for parents. Naperville, IL and Washington, DC: Sourcebooks and Teaching Strategies, Inc.

Seefeldt, C. (1997). Social studies for the preschool/primary child (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Mitchell, L. S. (1991). Young geographers (4th ed.). New York: Bank Street College of Education.

Fromboluti, C. S., & Seefeldt, C. (1999). Early childhood: Where learning begins--Geography. Washington, DC: Office of Educational Research and Improvement, National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education. Available at www.ed.gov/PDFDocs/geography.pdf

This archived online publication from the US Department of Education offers parents ways to use children's play to help them learn more geography. Most of the suggestions in this book are geared to children from 2 to 5 years of age. Parents of children with disabilities can use the activities in this book, although some may have to be adapted.

National Council for the Social Studies, (1988). Social studies for early childhood and elementary school children preparing for the 21st century: A report from NCSS Task Force on Early Childhood/Elementary Social Studies. Silver Spring, MD: NCSS. Available at www.socialstudies.org/positions/elementary/

This position statement from the National Council for Social Studies includes the basic research in social studies, the developmental considerations in planning for social studies, and information about social studies in the elementary grades.

Clemens, S. G. (n.d.). Discussing the News with 3- to 7-Year-Olds: What to Do? In Early years are learning years article series, National Association for the Education of Young Children. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Available at naeyc.org/ece/1998/22.asp

After important, and often tragic, events happen in the news, young children often hear about it either on television or at the dinner table. Author Sydney Gurewitz Clemens shares strategies for discussing the news with young children. Her article is part of the National Association for the Education of Young Children series "Early Years are Learning Years Series." A full list of the series articles is available at www.naeyc.org/ece/eyly/list.asp

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (1996). Celebrating holidays in early childhood programs. In Early years are learning years article series, National Association for the Education of Young Children. Washington, DC: NAEYC. Available at  naeyc.org/ece/1996/18.asp

NAEYC believes that decisions about holidays are best made by teachers, parents, and children. This article provides guidance in celebrating holidays in a developmentally and culturally appropriate way.