Written by Stephanie De Luna, Senior, UT School of Journalism
Now in its third year, the Building BaseLine Objectives for Children’s Knowledge and Skills in Science (BLOCKS) program at UT Elementary School continues to enhance science learning with Pre-K students, preparing them for future academic success.
The BLOCKS program, which is funded by the National Science Foundation, was introduced three years ago to Pre-K classrooms in and around the Austin area. The research-based program is overseen by the Center for Science and Mathematics Education at The University of Texas. Through BLOCKS, teachers are able to study their own classrooms, assess young learners’ knowledge and skills and tests strategies for teaching core science concepts. Every year, the program focuses on different areas of science, such as physical, life and earth sciences.
Marcia Molinar, a Pre-K teacher at UTES and a UT alumna, teaches BLOCKS in her classroom. Molinar is in her fifth year of teaching at the school and has been teaching BLOCKS since the program was first introduced.
“The program brings science into the classroom and helps instructors find out what four year olds know and can do with science,” she said. Teachers undergo 80 hours of training each summer, along with additional training during the school year in order to bring the best teaching methods into the classroom.
Molinar said that the best way for four year olds to understand and learn science concepts is through hands-on learning. “A lot of the learning comes from going outside, finding and pointing out things that students have already seen,” Molinar said. “They’re looking at their daily lives through a scientific lens.”
Molinar said that BLOCKS will prepare students for the future because they learn to become more vocal by asking questions. “They’re building background knowledge, along with developing curiosity,” she said.
According to Kelly Mullin, UTES’s instructional science coach, “Students are learning the skills that they need for college readiness. They’re discussing and sharing ideas, learning where to find information and finding answers to questions. Critical thinking is so important.”
Findings have shown that the science program is also linking students to literacy improvement. “As the students were working with science, they are also developing their academic vocabulary at a higher rate that students who are not taking part in the program,” Mullin said.
Molinar said that BLOCKS is helping students from various backgrounds develop a love for science. “It’s a big undertaking,” she said. “But one step at a time we can help contribute to having a very diverse field of scientists one day.”
Additionally, BLOCKS also allows instructors to learn from what they are teaching in the classroom and have a chance to present their findings through BLOCKS to colleagues at conferences. “Teachers feel very empowered through this process,” Mullin said. “They take ownership of their material. They also build their own conceptual understandings, and this develops a stronger foundation in the sciences.”
Recently, Molinar submitted a paper to the American Educational Research Association entitled, ”Assessing Force and Motion in the Pre-K Classroom.” Her paper was accepted. “Acceptance of a submission to AERA is one the highest scholarly honors you can receive in education research,” Mullin said.
As for goals for the current school year and in the future, Molinar said that it remains the same. “I want to inspire little scientists,” she said. “I want to inspire four year olds to appreciate science and be excited about it.”
