Chapter 10: Policy Supports for Family Engagement in Early STEM

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education is vital to our nation’s global competitiveness, economic growth, and overall standard of living. For this reason, education and economic policy reform has increasingly focused on STEM-related issues —from filling workforce needs to improving mathematics and science skills for all children from preschool through high school. A policy emphasis on supporting STEM skills in the early years is particularly important because a strong STEM foundation sets the stage for future STEM learning. Policy efforts to promote early STEM also help direct attention and resources to a period in which STEM skills are often given a backseat to literacy skills and social- emotional learning. Because families are children’s first teachers and their biggest advocates, policy reform also requires attention to the role of family engagement in early STEM learning.