Posted on: Thursday, July 13, 2006
Encourage curiosity in science
By Alice Stomber
As a parent, you are preparing your child for a world that is vastly different from the one in which you grew up. With so many technological advances, it is important for your child to grow up knowledgeable about the sciences.
Since scientific knowledge is collective, children should start learning early on, at home. Here are a few ways to encourage your child's enthusiasm for science:
Spark curiosity. Science is not something mysterious. Being "scientific" is simply being curious, observing and investigating, something all children love to do. By encouraging your child's natural curiosity, you will propel your child's interest to ask questions and find the answers to the way our world works.
Observe. Every day is filled with opportunities to learn science. Encourage your child to examine what goes on around him or her. See how long it takes for a flower to burst into full bloom. Watch the moon as it appears to change shape over the course of the month. Learning how to observe objects is an important step leading to scientific explanations.
Question. Encourage your child to ask questions. Your child will need many answers when trying to understand how science works in his or her life. Don't worry if you don't know the answer right away. By looking it up in an encyclopedia or dictionary, or even asking someone else, your child will understand that you, too, are curious and interested in learning.
Listen. Have your child tell you his or her ideas and listen to the explanations. Being listened to will help your child to gain confidence in his or her thinking and to develop an interest in science. Listening will not only help you determine just what your child does and does not know, but it will also help him or her understand as well.
Encourage hands-on activities. Children learn and understand science best when they are able to investigate and experiment. Hands-on science can help your child with critical thinking and to gain confidence in his or her own ability to solve problems.
Start with simple experiments such as how sugar melts into caramel syrup, or how vinegar curdles milk. Assure your child that all science experiments can involve trying, failing and trying again.
The more your child learns, the more experiments he or she will want to try.
This column is provided through the Hawai'i State Teachers Association. Alice Stomber is a kindergarten teacher at 'Aikahi Elementary.
