Abstract
The authors draw from the research literature and from their work with the Scientific Literacy Project (SLP) in kindergarten classrooms to address the inclusion of science picture books in the curriculum. They describe features and functions of informational texts, discuss teachers' common concerns about providing young children with experiences to engage with informational science texts, and present evidence that addresses these concerns. They show how teacher support and guidance encourage classroom dialogue and facilitate children's cognitive and affective engagement with both literacy and science.
Notes
This research associated with our work in kindergarten classrooms and cited in this article was supported by grants from the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (#R305K050038), and the Bechtel Foundation (Young Engineer Studies, Purdue University). The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent views of the funding agencies. We greatly appreciate the involvement of the teachers and children in this study.