STEAM Learning Begins with Families

Children benefit when they: 

• engage in joyful STEAM interactions
• explore STEAM through playful, hands-on activities
• receive positive messages about STEAM
• experience STEAM learning as part of their cultural and linguistic practices

Families benefit when they: 

• build on their awareness of the importance of STEAM learning for children
• notice ways they already support children’s early STEAM learning
• learn more ways to engage children in playful STEAM learning
• feel an increased sense of belonging in the community and early learning settings

Educators benefit when they: 

• observe which STEAM learning experiences spark families’ curiosity and joy
• respect and value the ways families engage with children in STEAM learning
• identify ways to strengthen their partnerships with families
• consider ways to offer more STEAM experiences in early learning settings

Families support children’s STEAM learning every day. STEAM learning happens within trusted relationships during everyday routines, interactions, and play.

• For example, children learn about STEAM as families paint a shed, hike, use medicinal plants, visit a beach, repair a car, or cook food. Whether cooking tamales, sticky rice, or sweet potato pie, children learn math (for example, measuring ingredients) and science (for example, observing how food changes when mixed or cooked)!

Partnerships between families and early educators enrich STEAM efforts. Educators and facilitators partner with families to create culturally relevant STEAM experiences. Partnerships take time since families hold varied past experiences with STEAM and may have faced systemic barriers, stereotypes, or limited access to resources. Understanding these experiences contributes to collaborative, respectful partnerships.

• For example, educators can invite families to share how they use simple machines in their home life, such as when sewing clothes or building a fence. Families may also share about machines used in farm work, nursing, or photography.

Community programs contribute to STEAM efforts. Community programs include libraries, parks, museums, cultural centers, or organizations that serve families with young children. These programs may offer events or exhibits that provide opportunities for families to explore STEAM.

• For example, a resource and referral agency may offer a family STEAM event at a cultural center.
• A county office of education may partner with a local library to offer STEAM resources for families.
• In partnership with a nature center, a university, and a robotics company, an elementary school may offer families an engineering experience involving programming coding robots to represent animal adaptations (Blagden, 2023).