Pre-Kindergarten STEM

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Lovejoy Future Ready Skills
Content area fluency is an important aspect of integrated STEM Education. In addition, integrated STEM education also includes a fluency in the skills associated with career readiness and workforce development. These sets of skills are developed as students engage in problem-solving, using the processes of engineering design and computational thinking. These skills are addressed and developed in all classes and courses throughout a student’s PK-12 education. The Texas Education Agency identifies various STEM Fluency Skills that directly align with our Lovejoy Future Ready Skills. The following describes the progression of development and focuses on the Lovejoy Future Ready Skills, as noted in the Lovejoy 2030 Strategic Plan.

Lovejoy STEM Education Model and Experience Continuum
The Lovejoy STEM Education Model is a partial immersion model. Here, students experience academic content through integrated STEM activities regularly throughout the year. STEM experiences are embedded into the lesson cycle regularly, cross-curricular, and aligned to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) or course expectations. This model ensures that STEM education is provided to all students, including special populations.

Throughout their educational experience in Lovejoy ISD, students will move through a continuum of STEM learning experiences, regardless of their career pathway. Students begin by building an awareness of STEM and then begin to explore STEM more thoroughly before applying it not only in school, but outside of the school environment.

In Pre-Kindergarten...
Students are given simple design-based challenges where they participate in fun, hands-on projects while also learning key concepts they are expected to know and understand. Students also experience career play, science and engineering explorations, and story-book based challenges.

Instructional Materials
The availability of STEM materials in classrooms is crucial to promoting problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity among students. These materials provide hands-on learning experiences, making complex concepts more accessible and engaging. With a variety of different STEM tools, students can develop future-ready skills, including technical literacy and a growth mindset, to prepare students for success in a rapidly changing world.

Lovejoy ISD, along with financial support from the Foundation for Lovejoy Schools, has spent significant time and resources in making sure that teachers have the STEM materials necessary to provide students with quality STEM experiences. The materials differ from campus to campus, based on developmental needs and alignment to the TEKS and course expectations. The following are examples of what is available at each level.

Pre-Kindergarten
Coding Critters • Switcheroo Coding Crew • Vex123 • Fairy Tale STEM kits • Content related resources • Sphero Indi • Consumable resources and materials

Pre-Kindergarten STEM Scope and Sequence
In order to promote a cohesive educational experience for Lovejoy students, the Lovejoy ISD STEM scope and sequence presents a logical, developmentally appropriate plan for instruction, ensuring that all necessary content is addressed. The TEKS and course specific standards, with a focus on those in science, mathematics, and technology, lay the foundation for STEM education in Lovejoy ISD.  These expectations progress through the student’s educational experience and provide skills to develop well-prepared individuals ready to pursue and fulfill their career paths.

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

I.A4 Self-Concept. Child shows initiative in trying new activities and demonstrates perseverance when attempting to overcome obstacles or challenges. 

SCIENCE and ENGINEERING

VI.A Physical Science

VI.B Life Science

VI.C Earth and Space Science

TECHNOLOGY

X.A Technology and Devices

MATHEMATICS

V.A Number Sense

V.B Joining and Separating

V.C Geometry and Spatial Sense

V.D Measurement

V.E Classification and Patterns