Researchers at a university in North Carolina tested a program called "More PEAS Please!" with Head Start preschoolers in three counties. They compared children who had the food-based lessons with children who did not have them.
One classroom unit focused on seeds. Children looked at seeds, played with them, watched how a seed germinates and tested growth with and without sun and water. They also made a simple seed salsa using tomatoes and corn. Teachers attended an all-day workshop and received extra resources and short YouTube whiteboard videos to learn how to talk about science with four-year-olds.
Children in the program learned more science and more words than the comparison group.
Difficult words
- researcher — person who studies and tests ideasResearchers
- preschooler — child who is too young for primary schoolpreschoolers
- germinate — to begin to grow from a seedgerminates
- comparison — finding differences between two groups or things
- workshop — short class where people learn or practice
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Which seed activity in the article would you like to try? Why?
- Why do you think teachers watched videos and went to a workshop?
- Do you think making seed salsa is a good way to learn? Explain.
