Emerging Biology in the Early Years
How Young Children Learn About the Living World

This inspiring text celebrates young children as 'emergent biologists' and explains how their natural inquisitiveness and curiosity can be harnessed to increase early understanding of scientific concepts, and so lay the foundations for future learning about the living world.

Full of practical tips, suggested discussion points and hands-on activities, Emerging Biology in the Early Years is a uniquely child-focussed resource. Chapters provide key information on the physical environment, including weather phenomena and soils, plants, animals and human development, and prioritise the child?s perspective to offer activities which are in line with their natural development, thereby provoking discussion, problem-solving and child-led investigations. From planting seeds, to classifying rocks, flowers and animals, to understanding growth processes and recognising anatomical features, this book takes a holistic approach to science which moves beyond the confines of the curriculum and the classroom and shows how biology can be taught in a fun, engaging and inexpensive way both at home and in the early years setting.

Providing a rich collection of ideas, activities, and downloadable sheets, this will be an invaluable resource for early years practitioners and parents looking to develop young children?s scientific skills and understanding.

Introduction Chapter 1: Beginning to learn about the living world Chapter 2: Learning about ourselves Chapter 3: Learning about other animals Chapter 4: Learning about plants Chapter 5: Observing changes in living things Chapter 6: Naming living things Chapter 7: Earth science: Rocks, soil, weather and habitats Chapter 8: Interactions between physical science and living things Index

Sue Dale Tunnicliffe is a Reader in Science Education, a biologist, former teacher and a researcher at the Department of Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment at the UCL Institute of Education, University College London, UK.