Children's astronomy: implications for curriculum developments at Key Stage 1 and the future of infant science in England and Wales

Experience suggests that few areas of science could claim to capture the interest, curiosity and imagination of young children as much as astronomy does, few are more relevant and fundamental to their everyday lives, and few are more stimulating, motivating and fun. Infant and primary astronomy is concerned with more, however, than teaching concepts and process skills or about learning facts and figures. It is certainly more than simply knowing about the periodic changes associated with how the Earth, Sun and Moon move with respect to one another. It is about the nature of science and ‘scientific’ thought. It is about human achievement. It is about feelings and emotions; our relationships with each other and our relationships with nature. It is about the many important aspects of time, cycles and change. From this standpoint, radical changes to the early years astronomy component of a recently introduced and twice revised national science curriculum operating in all maintained schools throughout England and Wales are considered both misguided and premature. Exploring the nature of infant children's ideas and beliefs in certain astronomical areas, concerns about the direction of curriculum developments and the status of early years science are discussed.