Abstract
In this chapter, we look back at the ground covered in the preceding chapters to be able to look forward and provide a vision of science in early childhood that goes beyond the perception of “mere play.” We project implications of Vygotsky’s dictum that any higher order psychological (cognitive) function is a societal relation first onto issues such as working-class and underclass children’s participation in science and how to provide them with the kinds of relation that prepare them in ways equivalent to those of middle-class and upper-class children. Science, during early childhood, is more than play: it is serious business. If we fail our children and students in science, the reasons may include the lack of appropriate experiences during early childhood.
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Roth, WM., Goulart, M.I.M., Plakitsi, K. (2013). Valuing Children’s Early Science Experiences. In: Science Education during Early Childhood. Cultural Studies of Science Education, vol 6. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5186-6_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5186-6_10
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