Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) Early Childhood Practice Exam

Which is the best practice for including children during science explorations in a preschool setting?

1. Allowing children to lead their own explorations without guidance

2. Providing materials for structured, teacher-guided activities

3. Encouraging free play without any scientific focus

4. Conducting experiments with strict procedures only

The correct answer is: Providing materials for structured, teacher-guided activities

In a preschool setting, providing materials for structured, teacher-guided activities represents a best practice for including children during science explorations. This approach allows educators to facilitate learning opportunities while ensuring that children are engaged with the content in a meaningful way. Structured activities provide a framework that helps young children grasp scientific concepts through guided discovery, allowing them to explore, ask questions, and express their observations while still benefiting from the teacher's support and expertise. This method also balances child-led inquiry while ensuring that essential scientific principles are introduced and reinforced. Educators can scaffold children's learning experiences, gradually increasing complexity as their skills develop. By having a teacher present to guide discussions and prompt exploration, children are more likely to stay focused, deepen their understanding, and develop critical thinking skills in a supportive environment. In contrast, other approaches may lack the necessary focus on fostering scientific understanding or may not effectively utilize the teacher’s role in promoting inquiry-based learning. For instance, allowing children to lead explorations without guidance could lead to a lack of direction or educational value, while encouraging free play without any scientific focus would miss the opportunity to integrate essential learning objectives that support cognitive development. Conducting experiments with strict procedures only could stifle creativity and discourage exploration, which is critical at this