Great Science Books for Grades Pre-K Through Grade 2

Teaching Science to children can be both fun and rewarding. Books can make learning even more fun, as well as enriching. As a parent, nanny, and student of early childhood education, I have come across many different children's books. Here are some of my favorites for preschoolers up to grade two in science.

Pre-K (ages 2 - 5)
Preschool is an important age mark. These are the ages of discovery. Expect many questions about why things happen. At this stage, the best books are those that encourage questioning and discovering things. The books below will do one or both. Keep in mind that at this age, the parent or teacher will do the majority of the reading until the child is closer to kindergarten age.

"Bats" by Lily Wood
"Caps, Hats, Socks, and Mittens" by Louise Borden
"Clifford's Animal Sounds" board book by Norman Bridwell
"Who Am I?" by Nancy Christensen
"From Head To Toe" board book by Eric Carle (author of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar")

Kindergarten (ages 4-6)
A typical kindergartner should know how to read simple text, such as two to four-letter words. Good science books for this age will be easy to read, yet offer questioning, exploration, and discovery. These books should be much like those of the preschool age, yet they should be a bit more challenging. At the kindergarten level, children will grow immensely in the way they absorb and understand information. This is a wonderful age to introduce more complex issues that can be discussed in words a child can read and understand. The books below will be easy to read, but will also introduce the child to the exciting world around them.

"Wolves" by Lily Wood
"I Like Bugs" by Margaret Wise Brown (author of "Goodnight Moon")
"Biscuit" by Alyssa Satin Capucilli
"Where Do Insects Live?" by Susan Carizares
"I'm A Seed" by Jean Marzollo

Grade 1 (ages 5-7)
First grade is an exciting year. By this time, most children will begin reading more complex words that have more than one syllable. This is an exciting age for exploring science. Since the child's vocabulary has begun to develop further, this will also present further opportunities for understanding more complex facts. The books below will introduce the children to more complex information about the world around them.

"Apples of Your Eye" by Allan Fowler
"Rain" by Marion Dane Bauer
"I Am A Star" by Jean Marzollo
"I Spy Little Animals" by Jean Marzollo (from the "I Spy " series)
"Is Your Mama A Llama?" by Steven Kellogg

Grade 2 (ages 6-8)
Much like first graders, second graders can read and understand more complex words, but at an even greater level of understanding. Three syllable words will likely be introduced and understood. At this age, science lessons will often be accompanied by simple experiments. It is at this age that children will begin to understand and associate scientific facts with things that happen in real life. Some great grade 2 books are listed below.

"Tropical Rainforest" by April Sayre
"The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats
"Counting In The Garden" by Kim Parker
"Dive!: A Book of Sea Creatures" by Melvin Berger
"Why Don't Haircuts Hurt?" by Melvin & Gilda Berger (a question & anser book about the human body)