Kindergarten Science: What Happens

Although it may be difficult to imagine kindergarteners in lab coats performing experiments, science is an important part of the kindergarten curriculum.

Kindergarten science can be divided into two broad categories: science process and science concepts. Science processes include these activities:

• Investigating and experimenting with objects to discover information
• Observing, describing, sorting, and classifying objects according to what they have in common
• Communicating questions, making predictions, and making observations orally, and/or in drawings

Science concepts your kindergartner will study are in the areas of physical, life, and earth and space sciences:

• Describing and sorting objects using the five senses
• Comparing the properties of objects, such as objects that float versus objects that sink
• Studying how objects move – slide, turn, twirl, or roll

Life science concepts include these activities:

• Examining whether something is a living or nonliving thing
• Learning about the needs that plants and animals have in order to grow and observing the changes they go through
• Describing how animals move

Earth and space science concepts include these activities:

• Learning about the properties of common earth matrials, such as soil, water, and rocks
• Observing and describing the daily weather and the four seasons
• Describing ways to conserve natural resources

Here’s what your child should know before starting kindergarten science:

• Ask questions about how things work
• Notice there are changes in the weather
• Can identify some things that are the same and some things that are different in some objects
• Can identify some things found in nature
• Knows the concept of living and nonliving things

At the end of kindergarten your child should know or be able to:

• Investigate and experiment with objects
• Observe, describe, sort, and classify objects
• Participate in simple experiments to discover information
• Communicate questions, make predictions, and make observations orally and/or in drawings
• Describe and sort objects using the five snses
• Compare the properties of objects, such as objects that float versus objects that sink
• Identify how objects and animals move – slide, turn, twirl, or roll
• Identify whether something is living or nonliving
• Understand needs that plants and animals have in order to grow and the changes these organisms experience
• Understand the properties of common earth materials, such as soil, water, and rocks
• Observe and describe the daily weather and the four seasons
• Understand and describe ways to conserve natural resources