A Head Start on Science: Encouraging a Sense of Wonder

Straits, William: - William Straits is a professor of science education at California State University, Long Beach. He earned a bachelor's degree in biological sciences from the University of California at Irvine (1991); master's degrees in biology from California State University Fullerton (1995) and in curriculum and instruction from the University of Texas at Austin (1997); and a PhD in science education also from the University of Texas at Austin (2001). Throughout his career, as a science teacher and as a teacher educator, he has emphasized the natural and important connections between science and language literacies. He currently serves as director of the National Center for Science in Early Childhood and focuses much of his scholarly work on early childhood science education. He is continually amazed by the loving and tireless work of teachers of young children and humbly hopes that this book, in some small way, aids them in their efforts--helping children to heighten and expand their joyful "sense of wonder" about the natural world.