Accelerate Cognitive Development in children through STEAM

One theory that I often see being debated among educators is, the ideal age to introduce STEAM in the schooling system. While some people argue that an integrated problem-solving process should be brought in only when children grow up and mastered the understanding of complex concepts. 

However, my point of contention is “Why shouldn’t children be growing up as problem solvers? Why should they be taught in a compartmentalised manner first and then we try to break boundaries to blend the subjects or topics of learning?”

Such debates can continue forever but my argument is that children construct their own knowledge right from their formative years, then why should we marginalise learning in their early cognitive years. Blending STEM education appears a sure shot game-changer for educating children in the 21st Century, right from the time they start constructing complex cognitive skills. Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development also highlights the need for children to take an active role in their learning process. He stresses on the need to give autonomy to children, to behave like little scientists, and perform experiments, make observations, and learn about the world to concretise their concepts.

It is well established that when children interact with the world around them, they keep adding new knowledge, build upon their existing knowledge, and make changes to their previously held ideas so that new information can be added.

Research papers of many reputed scientists and psychologists have also theorised how holistic education becomes more interesting for a child when knowledge and skill are used in an integrated manner, rather than in isolated fragments. Tasks that invoke different faculties, head and hand, different modes of representation and different parts of the self are the ones that keep children more engaged. 

Children in primary classes have a low attention span and in our new age technological world, it is shortening even further. Therefore learning tasks should be chosen thoughtfully, in a manner that they stimulate rich talk, build perceptions, involve estimations, and encourage evidence-based thinking. Determining which of the traditional “science” or “non-science” subjects are involved is irrelevant, as the prime focus of tasks should be on encouraging rational, analytical, logical, and quantitive thinking in all aspects of the curriculum. The curriculum here should be treated as a whole and not disjointed particles. Even though this may sound very ambitious, all this is achievable, if we just change the way we approach our subjects in classrooms and homes, especially in the Primary and Middle school level.

Since the foundations of learning are being laid brick by brick between 7 to 11 years of age, integrating learning opportunities through a dynamic, skill-building methodology as STEAM learning should not be overlooked in elementary school. As a methodology, STEAM can make a huge difference in developing problem-solving skills in children, if introduced upwards, from the Concrete Operational stage of child development.

Original Source: Accelerate Cognitive Development in children through STEAM