Helping Your Kids Love Science
By Sara Jones
One of the key factors when performing scientific studies is observation. Observing and discussing your observations are also two of the most important parts of learning.
When we are raising children we should take every opportunity to help them learn something. Not that we should force them to sit and read all day long but the lessons in life around us should be revealed to them whenever possible, of course.
Recent trends in US schools are leaning towards less science education for your children so now it falls upon the parents to ensure that kids get the guidance and inspiration they need to maintain a positive science education experience. This can be done in a number of ways: tuning the television to the “educational” style stations (PBS, Discovery, History National Geographic, etc), buying science toys for your kids (microscopes, erector sets, solar powered car kits, etc), and getting them interested in reading some science related books.
But the most effective method of all is to open a child’’s eyes to the world of science around them every day. Every activity you do every moment every day can be related to science in some way and keeping a child’’s mind thinking about science is a major step towards future science success for them.
This process should start before you actually do anything physical. If you are on your way to a museum you should already be talking with kids about what they might see or do there and the same could apply for every other activity you do together.
You may be going to a baseball game. What an excellent time to discuss the science involved! For example: When the hitter is up to bat, explain how the bat is like a resonant bar and that the bat’’s “Sweet Spot” is the point of impact where the bat will not resonate. This puts maximum energy back into the ball as it is hit. Sports isn”t about Brains vs. Brawn, it’’s both!
Get your kids talking about science when they”re talking about doing fun things.
If you decide to go for a hike, talk about what things they might see or do on a hike. You can then relate these things back to science. If your kids want to see a snake, ask them if they know the types of snakes native to your area. Are they out during the day or are they nocturnal? How large to they get and what colors are they? Many snakes have a distinct pattern, what patterns might they see? Are they dangerous or aggressive?
What can you do to be safe while observing the snake? What if you don”t see a snake, what else would your kids like to do on a hike? Perhaps they would like to take a notebook and pencil to draw and write down what they see. Maybe they want to go fly a kite. What is it that keeps a kite in the air? How does it turn? Why does it have to be windy? Even if you don”t know the answers, ask your kids, they might know!
Just posing the questions can be enough to get your kids thinking about science. Talk about how you would go about finding the answer. What type of science is this? In general what do you see happening? Show them how to use their science books and the Internet to find the answers. Then when you do your activity, they”ll be looking for the science in it.
You can also talk about the different types of sciences and how they all interrelate to your activity. When hiking, your first thought would be biology because of all the nature, but how about the weather? Perhaps you can discuss physics as you climb a hill or watch leaves fall or even when you pack your backpack. The geology of the area you are walking in can be important. What color is the dirt? It it flat, mountainous, or just hilly? What kind of rocks will you find?
Talking and getting their minds thinking about science is important preparation before beginning your activity. Explain your activity step by step and let them help you to prepare. Most of all, keep talking about the kinds of science you expect to see and the things you”d like to learn.
With these techniques you can keep your child’’s minds open and ready to learn new things. Remember, acquiring knowledge is fun and interesting!
About The Author
Sara Jones was a fine student but science was a source of frustration she didn”t want her kids to suffer. She met Rick and Amanda Birmingham and realized their grasp of everyday science was the secret to making science fun. To learn more about the solution to science stress visit http://www.SuperFunScience.com