The set of STEM Study lessons has been written for you parents to help your PreK children to to develop the skills that they will encounter in later schooling. As you work with your little ones, you may recognize a special interest that your child has found in STEM, later you can help him/her conduct the activities at home. And when the Corona Virus is over you can visit the many museums and learning areas in your area.
All of our activities use simple science tools along with items commonly found in and around homes. The activities introduce everyday skills of observing, classifying, measuring, and communicating but in a STEM or scientific way. We want you, as well as other family members, to support learning by encouraging the child’s efforts.
Before you begin any of the activities:
You and your child should select a “special place” in the home for these activities. A certain corner, a box, something that encourages ownership and doesn’t get lost in the family dwelling.
Allow your child to play and explore with the materials before you give a directive. Play along with your child. If you both want to go off script, do it, and then relate it to the directions.
Some recommendations to keep in mind throughout this program of activities:
*HAVE FUN! We want to instill a love of learning and discovery in your child as opposed to making the activity a test or a drill. Make it a game, teach new skills, and gain cooperation by making it fun.
*Model by using the words you want your child to learn. Words have been bolded. Help the child write words that are bolded in the text you read.
*Children need THINK TIME, which means wait time (hard for adults working with young ones).
*Use when / then by describing what needs to happen first before what can happen next.
*Encourage conversation with your child during the activities. Children need to develop oral language skills (communication) in the PreK and Kg years. Older children will probably like them too.
*Practice, because children learn by doing and with repetition. Repeat, repeat, repeat----young children’s brains need to hear and do things more than once. Follow your child’s lead.
*Talk about the activity the next day. And the next.
*Ask good questions that encourage thinking.
*Try not to correct an incorrect answer. Listen to the child’s response as a clue to their thinking. Then, provide the proper term, concept, etc. to the child.
*Problem solve when things don’t go as expected, and involve children in the process of finding solutions.
*An adult can take dictation from the children as they relate to their experiences with each lesson. Or, have the child document their experiences on paper by drawing, writing, completing charts, etc.
*Google a podcast or u-tube related to topic.
*Ask your local librarian for books related to topics.
When you and your child have finished the set of activities, feel free to use it with another child—even older children. Doing that makes you an even better family member teacher. If everyone in the family likes doing STEM Kits, you can help make a new one by collecting the items in the kit and taking them to school to share with the teacher or another family.
https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ecd/stem_toolkit_preschool_teachers_spanish.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4256529/
~ Dr. Bob ~
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