A few easy ways to make science part of every day!
Homeschooling science does not have to be hard, especially when your children are preschool through elementary ages. Science is all around us. To box it into one little subject can seem silly, when you think of all it covers. For younger children, it is a matter of simply exploring the world. All we need to do it point them the right direction and provide them with the right tools. Here are some ideas to make science attainable.
- Keep a Nature Notebook - take a large three-ring binder and turn it into a nature notebook. Label dividers "Trees", "Plants", "Insects", "Birds", and "Weather". Children can keep drawings or take pictures of things they see outside, or even tape leaves that have fallen onto a page. Later, help them research and try to identify and name what they observed. You might want to have a few good references on hand to help you identify birds, trees, plants, etc... For the weather, have them observe and chart weather conditions.
- Do simple experiments - Kids love to play and get messy! Get a good book with easy experiments, and go for it! Janice VanCleave's series are good for this.
- Ask Questions - Try not to directly answer all your children's questions. Instead, ask questions back. For example, if your child observes, "Look at that pretty flower, Mom. What is it?" Instead of answering "A pansy", lead your child to more observations. Like, "What color is it?", "Is it short of tall? How tall? Let's get a ruler and measure". Helping your child learn how to organize a question into a series of more ordered observations leading to a finding (using all the observations to look up and correctly identify the flower)is what science is all about.
- Have fun toys! - We homeschoolers tend to be very budget-conscious, as we are financing our children's education. However, when you can, invest in some fun science related toys. A good telescope is priceless, and helps you to explore the skies and look at birds. My 6 and 8 year old boys love a toy set called "Snap Circuit, Jr." received for a birthday. This toys lets them build creations like a buzzer, while exploring electricity and circuitry. Fun Fun! I like the site Fat Brain Toys to find an occassional fun science toy!
Have fun, and remember to always be curious!
The copyright of the article Science for the Younger Years in Homeschooling is owned by Christine Alcott. Permission to republish Science for the Younger Years in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
