Encourage your children to develop a love for STEM. Open-ended questions around science and technology, coding activities and reading about some of the greatest inventions will help incite their keenness for these subjects.
Also, make sure that maths and science learning is integrated into their projects and relates to real-life scenarios. Formative assessment can also play a key role here.
1. Read Books
Children are naturally curious, so it’s no surprise that STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects are a natural fit for students. Supplementing their STEM learning at home with exciting, hands-on activities can help students form a solid foundation for future careers and build 21st century skills.
A great place to start is with science picture books. These colorful resources are often more engaging and easier to understand than traditional textbooks, as they provide information in a relatable way for all students, no matter their age or level of understanding. Science picture books are a wonderful way to introduce students to a wide variety of topics, from animals and plants to how our bodies work. They can also be used to teach students about famous scientists and innovators, such as the man who took beautiful pictures of snowflakes.
Another great way to foster a love of STEM is by connecting it with other interests and hobbies. Kids are naturally drawn to subjects like art, music, and athletics, which can all be linked to STEM topics through the use of basic everyday materials. For example, creating a marble maze with paper plates, straws and a little imagination is one easy way to encourage students to practice problem-solving and design. Or, a more complex project, such as building a Rube Goldberg machine, can be a fun way for kids to exercise their creativity and demonstrate the ability to use both planning and sequencing.
Many of these STEM activities can be easily conducted in the comfort of a home with items most parents already have on hand. For instance, a simple box, tape and string can be used to create a pulley for a marble to roll down or a catapult for an egg to fly across the room.
2. Watch TV and YouTube Videos
Science, technology, engineering and math — or STEM — education is becoming increasingly important to children’s future careers. This learning is a broad field that includes physics, biology and chemistry, as well as mathematics and computer science. It’s a great way for children to learn problem-solving skills and explore the world around them.
Kids are naturally curious, and it’s important to foster their interest in STEM early. By playing with age-appropriate toys, engaging in hands-on projects and watching educational TV and YouTube videos, you can help your children develop a love for science, math, technology and engineering at home.
A recent study found that 75% of respondents reported that when they watched a video, it motivated them to inform themselves more about a subject. However, the research also found that there are certain factors that make a video more or less interesting for learners. For example, the video’s title should include a topic that interests them. The video should also be entertaining and explain the topic in a way that is easy to understand.
Fortunately, there are many educational and entertaining TV shows and YouTube channels that teach about STEM topics. For example, the YouTube channel STEMBite features bite-size math and science lessons that connect to everyday life. Another helpful resource is the Veritasium channel, which features experiments and expert interviews.
During the coronavirus pandemic, students across the globe watched YouTube videos to stay informed and engaged in their studies from home. This helped to encourage their self-learning and allowed them to continue their education despite the global lockdown. Educators should take note of this trend and use videos to teach their students at school as well.
3. Make a Science Experiment
A big part of STEM education is exploring and creating. Parents can support this by encouraging children to design and conduct their own experiments. Then they can learn how to observe the results and share what they learned.
For example, kids can explore the effects of temperature on ice cream by making this super easy DIY experiment. Or, they can test what happens when different liquids are combined in a glass. Kids can also see what happens when water freezes with this fun and simple DIY science activity. They can also watch what happens to oil when it’s mixed with other liquids and discover why gummy worms float in water in this science experiment that also involves chemistry.
Another easy science experiment involves the power of gravity. This one requires only paper cups and straws. Kids can learn how to build a structure that can hold their weight. They can even take it a step further and experiment with how the shape of an object can affect its ability to withstand weight. Kids can even explore density and buoyancy with this quick and simple experiment, which only requires a glass of water and some items that can float or sink.
This is a great way to get kids excited about science and to teach them the importance of observation and careful recording. Plus, it’s a lot of fun! Another good way to promote STEM at home is by exploring STEM topics that are based on the child’s own interests. If they’re passionate about space, dinosaurs, building blocks, trains, or something else, these topics can be the basis for many STEM activities. These projects can help children develop problem-solving skills as they work to make their ideas a reality.
4. Learn a New Skill
Children are natural scientists, observing the world around them, experimenting with everything they can find, and asking A LOT of questions. These traits are important to nurture and encourage, especially since studies show that children who don’t develop a love of science by age five are less likely to pursue STEM-related careers later in life.
Parents can help their children love STEM by promoting it in a variety of ways at home. Many activities that are already part of family routines, such as cooking or building with blocks, provide opportunities to learn about STEM concepts and skills. These include math (measurement and counting), science (observing the behavior of objects), engineering (creating solutions to problems), and technology (using machines like computers to solve problems).
Many families have also found success with activities that introduce children to coding, which is considered part of STEM education. Coding programs are available online and at local libraries, and companies such as Sphero and littleBits offer programmable robots that encourage problem-solving through exciting hands-on projects and activities.
Promoting STEM in the home is important for all children, but it’s particularly essential for girls. Research shows that women are underrepresented in STEM fields, and pre-existing stereotypes can discourage young girls from pursuing STEM-related careers. Many resources, organizations, and programs have been developed to raise awareness of the STEM gap and inspire kids to pursue these important subjects. These include Engineer Girl, Girlstart, and a number of other educational platforms that aim to bring attention to the many opportunities available in STEM for girls. By helping them feel confident about their abilities in STEM-related subjects, parents can help their children thrive academically and professionally.
5. Take a Field Trip
Children are natural curious beings, and a large part of STEM education involves fostering curiosity. From a young age, it’s important to encourage kids to play, explore and ask lots of questions. This can help them learn about themselves, the world around them and how to be an active participant in their own education.
Field trips are one way schools and teachers support children’s curiosity by taking them out of the classroom. They provide students with an opportunity to interact with real-life examples of the science, technology, engineering and maths concepts they learn in class.
However, they can also disrupt the classroom schedule and require a significant amount of planning (Behrendt & Franklin, 2014). This can add to the workload for both teachers and students. It can also lead to frustration if students are not prepared for the trip and struggle to stay on task.
Fortunately, if educators are meticulous in their planning and clearly communicate the benefits of a trip, it can be successful. This is especially true if the trip is not an all-day event but rather a shorter excursion that can be completed during the school day.
Whether it’s a small trip to a local museum or a big-ticket event like a national park, a well-planned field trip can be educationally valuable for children. It can boost their grades, decrease absences and behavioral infractions and improve their engagement in school subjects. Moreover, it can be an excellent way to reinforce the subject matter they learn in the classroom by providing them with a context for their lessons. For example, a visit to the National Air and Space Museum can show students how the principles they are learning about in physics apply to real-world applications.
