Science and science learning have always been one of my passions. I work as a project director at the Lawrence Hall of Science at UC Berkeley where my work is focused on helping school districts plan high quality TK-12 science programs. The other end of my work tries to understand how students develop positive science identities (that’s the research side of my job). This doesn't make me an expert, by any means. I feel like I gain a deeper appreciation of all there is to learn about science education everyday (via work, interacting with my son, Nathan, and so on.) So I volunteered to write a quick post about why science matters to kids and parents in our DN community – well, because I think about this stuff everyday.
Young children have unlimited curiosity and are constantly exploring the world around them. That’s why doing science is such a critical part of children’s early learning. When kids do science, their curiosity becomes a powerful catalyst for their work and play.
Experts tell us that early science experiences help children to better understand the world around them and how the world works. Doing science develops skills that will be used throughout our kids’ lives: observing, comparing, investigating, organizing, problem solving, and communicating.
Characteristics of good science learning are when these experiences:
- Build on kids’ prior experiences and ideas
- Draw on their curiosity and encourage them to pursue their own questions
- Are experiential, hands-on, concrete, sensory
- Embedded throughout their day and in play
- Enable them to interact and talk with others – use vocabulary, gives them opportunities to ask questions, to describe, to record and document, to explain, to engage in conversation with peers and to make connections to literature.
AT SCHOOL:
One easy way to incorporate science into the daily classroom routine is to set up a discovery area where children can explore. Our Wood Duck class calls this our "science" area/table where our teachers select a variety of age-appropriate materials (such as magnifiers, a balance scale, prisms, and plants) that introduce them to the wonders of the natural world. This is where the Wood Ducks relish the tactile sensations of smooth shells, soft feathers, and rough bark.
More than a space, teachers model the use of some materials and help children consider the best types of tools to use in their explorations. They ask open-ended questions like: “I wonder how we could find out how many tiny seeds are in a single pod?” For a water activity, they provide a variety of objects, such as different measuring containers, tubing, and items that children can use to explore sinking and floating.
AT HOME:
As parents, we can:
- Build on their sense of wonder and encourage questions, particularly those that have more than one possible answer. (“I’m not sure why leaves have different shapes – let’s collect some and try to figure out some reasons.”)
- Ask open-ended questions and welcome innovative responses. (“What do you think happened? What questions do you have? How could we find out? Why do you think that? Tell me more about your idea.”)
- Encourage different approaches to everyday situations, within reason.
- Model positive attitudes towards science – be excited about the process of discovery with your kids, model caring for the environment, avoid passing on your own fears.
- Encourage curiosity and questions. You don’t need to know all the answers. You can find out together.
RESOURCES:
Check out www.lawrencehallofscience.org/kidsite activities: Gooo!, Oil Spill, and Sticky Situations.
www.howtosmile.org also has cool, fun ideas for quick and easy science activities to do with your kiddos! Clicking on the “advanced search” button at the top right of the page lets you search for activities by: material cost, age range, learning time, subject, prep time, language, etc.
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| Wood Duck Teacher Wendy leading Sink or Float activity. |
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| Wood Duck discovery “science” area. |
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