| As a dad of young children, I'm constantly on the | | | | 5. Does the test say you were right? |
| lookout for ways that I can help my children grow and | | | | 6. If so, you learned and proved something new, if not, |
| be more successful. One of the things I've settled on is | | | | then you rethink it and go back to step 2 to start again. |
| teaching them through the use of kids science | | | | The scientific process isn't just useful for science... it is |
| projects. I believe that teaching science to our children | | | | a basic way of learning about the world around us, |
| is both helpful for them, ourselves as parents, and | | | | whether it's "what our friends think about our new |
| great for our country. There's probably a case to be | | | | outfit?" or "how does a rocket work?", many, many (if |
| made for it helping out humanity too, but I'll stop short | | | | not all) questions can be answered just like this. |
| of that for now. Getting your kids involved with science | | | | Teaching it to your child will help them to become |
| gives them the following benefits: | | | | more and more self sufficient in answering their |
| 1) Build Team Work Skills | | | | problems and questions. |
| When you take the time to partner with your child to | | | | 3) Increase Self Esteem |
| do a project it helps them learn how to work | | | | Self esteem is the key to getting your children to say |
| cooperatively with you and others. As a parent you | | | | "yes" to the things they should say yes to and "no" to |
| should always be on the look out for things you can | | | | the things that can hurt them. Study after study has |
| do with your child that allows them to think and interact | | | | shown that children get involved with gangs and other |
| with you. So much of a child's early life has to be | | | | trouble makers because they are seeking approval. I |
| dictated to them for safety sake or just plain making | | | | take this to the next logical step and say that kids |
| your and their world sane, that it's easy to forget how | | | | seek approval, because they haven't learned to be |
| frustrating that can be. It also doesn't teach them | | | | self approving or said another way they don't have |
| effectively how to make decisions for themselves. | | | | enough self esteem on their own, so they seek it from |
| Picking out fun, age appropriate science projects that | | | | those around them. As parents, we should always be |
| you can do together helps them learn how to work | | | | looking for ways to positively build self esteem in our |
| with others. Don't miss the opportunity to let them | | | | children. One great way of doing that is to help them |
| make decisions for themselves as they do the project. | | | | accomplish on their own. Setting out to create or build |
| Most of all, don't do the project for them or make | | | | something and then succeeding in creating it, is a |
| them do the project completely themselves. Involve | | | | wonderfully strong and positive way to build self |
| them as much as possible in the decision making and | | | | esteem. One important thing to bring up is that |
| have fun with the project. It's a great way for both of | | | | whatever you set out to do with your child needs to |
| you to enjoy each other's company and when they | | | | be something they are interested in. Listen to them and |
| get to make some decisions now and then, they will | | | | ask questions about what you hear from their interest. |
| be more apt to accept it when they can't decide on | | | | 4) Helping them learn more about the world around |
| bigger decisions that they aren't quite ready for yet. | | | | them |
| 2) Teach Logic Skills | | | | Regardless of your position on items like Global |
| Ok, now I know what you're thinking. My child? Logic? | | | | Warming, Evolution vs Creationism, or any other hot |
| Well not doubt most people believe that having sound | | | | political topic. Hopefully you want your children to be |
| logic skills help people solve problems, and people that | | | | educated on the facts. And to be honest, we want to |
| solve problems are more self reliant, generally happier | | | | influence the way our children see the world. I for one |
| (focused on solutions not the problem), and often times | | | | am a believer that Parents should do as much as they |
| they end up more financially secure. We're not born | | | | can to help their children to learn. If we leave 100% of |
| with logic and I could probably find many different | | | | our children's education to "other people" like schools, |
| opinions about whether or not there's a biological side | | | | friends, or TV, then we really aren't doing everything |
| of logic. I do know that logic can be learned and if you | | | | we can do as parents to help raise our children. |
| want your children to "get it", then you have to work | | | | Regardless of the area of science that you choose to |
| on teaching them logic. A great way to do that is | | | | work with your child in, by teaching them through the |
| through the use of science projects and specifically | | | | use of Kid's Science Projects, you really help them to |
| the "scientific process". By working on kids science | | | | gain a better understanding of the world around them |
| projects, if you approach it in the right manner, you can | | | | and that the opinions they see from those other |
| teach them how to be a problem solver. I'll do another | | | | sources, might be write and might not be right. We / |
| article on the scientific process soon, but here's the | | | | they have to evaluate them each on their own merit |
| basic steps. Don't worry about using these exact | | | | and determine based on the facts we can learn |
| words with your children, but do go over them in | | | | through researching the world around us, what is true |
| words appropriate for their age: | | | | and what isn't. I'm sure there are many other reasons |
| | | | to work with your children in Science endeavors... |
| 1. Identify some problem or question; | | | | I encourage you to get started if you haven't already |
| 2. Learn about it; | | | | and to keep after it if you already are. Good luck with |
| 3. What do you think is true? | | | | your science projects and above all... have fun and |
| 4. Test it; | | | | happy tinkering! |