"The Giant Chicken Means We're Near Grandma's!" Investigating Pre-Kindergarteners' Interest/Ability While Using College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Geographic Inquiry

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 13
  In Poster Session: Supporting Young Children's Learning and Development

Abstract

Early childhood practices which address both developmental and academic learning needs must be brought to the forefront as children are regrettably playing less and studying more in the classroom (Brown, 2018). Play-based inquiry learning can perpetuate children’s creativity, social and emotional, and cognitive abilities (Lewin-Benham, 2011). The NCSS College, Career, and Civic Life Framework for Social Studies State Standards (C3) guides teachers in creating rigorous inquiry, but offers no noticeable focus on play. Could the framework be combined with play to develop social studies competencies in prekindergarten? This study used open-coding analyses of data sources to reveal a play-based unit on landmarks created with the C3 Framework could foster social studies competencies and sustain interest in eleven prekindergartners.

Author

• Erin M Casey, University of Oklahoma