Help Your Child Explore Science
The Skills of Science
Parents can encourage scientific thinking by asking open-ended questions and taking time to encourage answers.
Observing: Invite young eyes and fingers to notice small details.
- “What shapes do you see in that spider web?”
- “Does the crust on this bread feel different from the crust on that one?”
Classifying: Put things in groups based on their characteristics.
- “Let’s sort the socks by color.”
- “Can you think of a way to divide your toys according to a pattern?”
Predicting: Put ideas about how the world works into words and test them.
- “How long will an ice cube last sitting on the counter?”
- “Will it last longer on another surface?”
Quantifying: Encourage children to quantify the world around them.
- “Who is the shortest person in the family? By how much?”
- “How many steps big is your room? The living room?”
The skills of science can and should be practiced everywhere. But it’s clear from research that children’s minds grow best when the environment is rich and varied. Use open-ended dialogue with your children as you explore the neighborhood, the grocery store, the park, or the local fire station. Field trips need not be long, expensive, or elaborate to help young minds turn to science.
Science is all around us!