Skip to Main Content
Research Guides@Tufts

Early Childhood Curriculum

Professional Development

NASA ePDN - Electronic Professional Development Network
NASA offers free online professional development certificate programs for K-12 teachers in robotics, statistics, project-based inquiry learning, and technology integration and self-directed courses in astrobiology, microgravity, and outer space environment.

Science and Engineering Practices in K-12 classrooms
National Science Teachers Association, December 2011

Strategy for Improved Early Childhood Education: Design Thinking
IDEO, innovation and Design Firm

Foundations of Science Literacy (Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators)
Education Development Center in Waltham, MA

K-2 Technology Performance Indicators
Niagara Whitfield Central School District

Profession Development and Teacher Resources for Engineering & Technology
Children’s Engineering Educators, LLC

Compilation of STEM Curriculum Resources
STEM is Elementary 

Engineering

Engineering Activities for Kids
Published by PBS.org

Engineering is Elementary
Curricula and Professional Development created by the Museum of Science, Boston

LAUNCH STEM curriculum for K-5 
Project Lead the Way, Inc 2013

Great lessons for k-5 engineering & science
Engineering, Go For It! Magazine  by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) 

Books and materials in the Evelyn G. Pitcher Curriculum Lab

The Evelyn G. Pitcher Curriculum Resource Laboratory has a select collection of books and early childhood classroom materials about math available to students, faculty, and community members. Browse the full Science, Technology, and Engineering catalog here, or specific categories below:

Science Curriculum | Science | Science Experiments/Activities | Science Education | Technology and Education

This lending library is available in the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development at 105 College Ave in Medford, MA.

Curriculum Standards and Frameworks

K-2 Engineering Design Standards
Next Generation Science Standards 2014

Academic Standards for Science, Technology and Engineering Education (Pre-K-3)
Pennsylvania Department of Education, April 2012

3D Printers

Why have 3D Printers in the Classroom?
3D Printing Systems, Australia

Turning Students into Engineers with 3D Printing
Tech Directions, August 2013

Make Magazine
Student-Friendly 3D Printing Activities and Ideas

Typing & Coding

Typing in the classroom
Article about Keyboard Classroom, a program that teaches kids to type

Programming Using Free Scratch Jr. App
Collaboration between DevTech Research Group at Tufts University, the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab, and the Playful Invention Company

Hopscotch, Coding for Kids
Hopscotch App allows young children to code by dragging programming blocks together 

iPads in the Classroom

Recommended iPad apps as teacher resources and for classroom use
Researched and compiled by Pitcher Curriculum Lab Staff.

Innovative learning and literacy with iPads in kindergarten
Teacher’s Blog by Kindergarten Teacher Kristi Meeuwse in Charleston, SC

Makerspaces

What is a Makerspace and Resources
Makerspace.com Resources

Makerspace in the Classroom
Article Published by Make Magazine

Social Sciences Librarian

Profile Photo
Cece Lasley
she/her/hers

General STEM Education Links

Intel Stem Resources
Published by Intel Corporation

Resources for STEM Education
Published by the National Science Foundation

Research Resources

Technology’s role in school reform
2013 Article by Bob Pearlman, teacher and administrator dedicated to school reform

Revealing the work of young engineers in early childhood education
University of Northern Iowa Center for Early Development Education, Fall 2010

Outcomes of Differentiated Instruction using Technology
Case Study of SC Classroom by Edutopia.org

Nurturing STEM Skills in PreK-3 Children
Successful STEM Education.org, by Education Development Center in Waltham, MA