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2014-09-28
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Teaching Science to Young Children
by
Nancy Paulu with Morgery Martin
Why is the sky blue?
Why do things fall to the ground?
How do seeds grow?
What makes sound and music?
Where do mountains come from?
Young children ask their parents hundreds of questions like these. In
search of answers, we use science to both enlighten and delight.
As parents, we must prepare our children for a world vastly different
from the one in which we grew up. In the next century, this country
will need citizens with more training in science and technology than
most of us had in school.
Even children who don't want to be scientists, engineers, or computer
technicians will need science to cope with their rapidly changing
environment. But without our help, our children will not be prepared
for these changes.
Below are suggestions for ways you can interest your children in
science.
Many of the activities cost little or nothing and require no special
equipment.
Science Starts at Home
We play a crucial role in determining how much science our children
learn. Our enthusiasm and encouragement can spark their interest.
Fortunately, youngsters of all ages are curious and love to investigate.
And the earlier we encourage this curiosity, the better.
Scientific knowledge is cumulative, so children need to start learning
early - at home. Many of us assume that children will learn all the
science they need at school. The fact is that most children, particularly
in elementary school, are taught very little science.
How You Can Help
As parents, we don't have a strong background in science to help our
children learn science. What's far more important than knowing what
sound is or how a telescope works, is having a positive attitude about
science.
Every day is filled with opportunities to learn science - without
expensive chemistry sets or books. Children can easily be introduced to
the natural world and encouraged to observe what goes on around
them.
Together, parents and children can-
ÑSee how long it takes for a dandelion or a rose to burst into full bloom;
or
ÑWatch the moon as it appears to change shape over the course of a
month, and record the changes;
or
ÑWatch a kitten grow into a cat.
ÑBake a cake;
ÑGuess why one of your plants is drooping; or
ÑFigure out how the spin cycle of the washing machine gets the water
out of the clothes.
Learning to observe objects carefully is an important step leading to
scientific explanations. Experiencing the world together and exchanging
information about what we see are important, too.
A nasty head cold can even be turned into a chance to learn science.
We can point out that there is no known cure for a cold, but that we do
know how diseases are passed from person to person. Or we can teach
some ways to stay healthy - such as washing our hands, not sharing
forks, spoons, or glasses, and covering our nose and mouth when we
sneeze or cough.
Questioning and Listening
We should encourage our children to ask questions. A friend once
asked Isidor I. Rabi, a Nobel prize winner in physics, "Why did you
become a scientist, rather than a doctor or lawyer or businessman, like
the other immigrant kids in your neighborhood?" Rabi responded:
My mother made me a scientist without ever intending it. Every
other Jewish mother in Brooklyn would ask her child after school: "So?
Did you learn anything today?" But my mother. She always asked me a
different question. "Izzy," she would say, "did you ask a good question
today?" That difference - asking good questions - made me become a
scientist!
If we can't answer all of our children's questions, that's all right - no
one has all the answers, even scientists. And children don't need
lengthy, detailed answers to all of their questions. We can propose
answers, test them out, and check them with someone else. The library,
or even the dictionary, can help answer questions.
We can also encourage our children to tell us their ideas and listen to
their explanations. Being listened to will help them to gain confidence
in their thinking and to develop their skills and interest in science.
Listening helps us to determine just what children know and don't
know. (It also helps the child figure out what he or she knows.)
Simple activities can help to demystify science - and we will suggest
some of these later. But children also need to learn some basic
information about science and about how to think scientifically. Next
we will identify information that parents that can use to point their
children toward this goal.
Taken from Helping Your Child Learn Science published by the US
Department of
Education, June 1991.