Skill
Uses Science Vocabulary
Child engages in scientific talk, using practice and content words to describe what they explore.
Ages 36–66 months
Why it matters
Language is the tool children use to think and reason about the world. As they pick up practice words like observe, predict, compare, and measure, along with content words for the things they study, children gain the vocabulary to share ideas, ask sharper questions, and join in the back-and-forth talk that drives scientific inquiry.
Builds toward this milestone
- engages in scientific talk. — Head Start ELOF
What mastery looks like
- Uses scientific practice words such as observe, compare, predict, or measure during an investigation.
- Uses content words for what is being studied, such as naming the roots, stem, and leaves of a plant.
- Repeats and tries out new science words offered by an adult, sometimes asking what an unfamiliar word means.
How to observe it
- During an exploration, does the child use specific science words rather than only good or cool?
- When an adult models a new word, does the child take it up and use it again later?
Accessibility
- Pair each new word with a picture, gesture, or sign so children can show meaning without speaking.
- Accept words offered in a child's home language and connect them to the English term.
Activities
Evidence
- Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework (ELOF) — U.S. Office of Head Start · 2015 · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Early Atlas