Discovery: A child's first step

For every child, they think their parents know all the answers to their questions. Why does she have to sleep and wake up early? How do you prepare breakfast? Why do leaves fall from the trees? Their inquiries go on.

Learning through observation is the first step in discovery. “There’s science behind everything we see and do” said Multi-awarded educator Dr. Josette Talamera Biyo

Take the kids to your garden and observe the ants walk in line following a leader on a trail. Where are the ants going? See the worm, when it burrows underground, how come they make it easier for roots of plants and trees to dig deeper into the soil for water?

You can introduce science concepts indoors and outdoors, the challenge is how you’d be able to encourage your child observe the surroundings; these new information connects to her knowledge and enriches her understanding. As you prepare their meal, narrate as you demonstrate how you fry an egg, mix flour and its other ingredients for pancakes; teach them how to pour milk in a glass and define what is half-filled to a full glass, what adding ice cubes can do to warm milk. Through experiential learning, they grasp answers on how things are made of.

Kids are amazed by all these little things made together with their parents.

In doing chores, sit down with your child and enlist what needs to be done. As you two move along, the way she observe how you do it, how it must be done, the process on having hands-on learning enhances your child on the art of efficiency.

What can you do to pieces of old rag quilts and cloths? A little project together, transform what seems to be pieces of trash into useful containers, bag or bed comforters; the process of gathering materials, cutting each piece according to the desired pattern (shapes), stitching to sewing, and learning techniques binds you and your child to a joint effort creating a by-product. What a way to teach your child to recycle items at home, too!

All kids need the knowledge and skills that make up what we call “science literacy” – the ability to make sense of the world around them. Parents who can see the world through her child’s eyes make a great companion in discovering. Share the enthusiasm when your child finds something fascinating, even if it’s a piece of twig.

By helping kids learn how to observe, collect evidence, and draw conclusions, science helps your child sharpen their thinking about the ideas and events they encounter in everyday life. Having to understand how it’s a part of our daily lives can give children a great foundation.

Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, you’re probably enjoying the benefits that result from a scientist’s work, which includes what you and your child experience every day. Possibilities are endless!

Experiential Learning

Enrolling a child in school is not just about ABC’s and numbers; extra co-curricular activities such as art classes, workshops and sports are beneficial to a child’s development giving them the active and involving process of explorations – just like play.

In a classroom setup, kids experience memorizing facts, learn techniques to solve problems, spoon fed trying to understand class lectures, assignments and tasks to get answers and test problems without ever being exposed to the big ideas why.

“Children investigate everyday phenomena and discover new things in contrast to information handed down by teachers in a traditional classroom. Young children need a lot of action, not a lot of facts” said Child Psychologist Professor Dr. Lillian Leynes –Juadiong, Ph.d of the Department of Family Life and Child Development of the University of the Philippines College of Home Economics

Parents’ role is to present the opportunities that model their child’s attitudes- curious, questioning and willing to explore and solve problems. For a child, learning how to find answers is considered more important than the answers themselves, the investigation process gives children a joyful risk-taking approach to learning.

Experiential learning is letting children do things by themselves, unlike conventional training – learning through textbooks; it gives them the chance to reflect on their intellectual, emotional and physical involvement which develops personal insights and understanding. Children may start with any of the five senses: taste, touch, smell, sight and sounds.

Science is about the big ideas, the experience on discovering and knowing hands-on. “Scientific inquiry opportunities occur in planned or spontaneous activities, we can guide children’s’ curiosity and help turn a pleasant experience into one that has a deeper learning potential” Dr. Juadiong,Ph.D added.

When parents allow kids to hear about how a flower blooms, describing the colors surrounding them and the origin of how things are made, the craft and the origin of consciousness becomes so exciting. And that’s often not what they feel after each class.

As the cliché goes – Experience is the best teacher. The restless and self-questioning scientific mode of thought is a virtue.

When children get excited about what’s surrounding them, they realize they’ve got the power to think, digest and skeleton pair what they found out. They’ve gain to gauge that they’ve got the power to criticize, to ask questions, to not simply accept that it’s beyond their purview. It’s not only the ideas and the content, but the mode of thinking that ultimately comes across when they’re exposed to science in the way they get to in activities.

Since children are natural scientists and parents are often the child’s first teacher, let these inexpensive experiential activities get your Child exploring.

You may find activities through this helpful link: http://www.cool-kids-craft-ideas.com/