Young children are naturally curious about everything around them, especially things that would fall under the category of “science,” such as nature, weather, etc. Unfortunately, by elementary school, much of this natural curiosity has faded. Once this disinterest begins, learning slows down dramatically.

If this is beginning to happen at your house, the following paragraphs offer some suggestions about how you can help your child get excited about science.

One way to build your child’s enthusiasm towards science is to let them experience science in a “hands-on” kind of way. Many studies show that more information is retained when learning in this manner than when simply memorizing facts. Find out from the teacher what they are studying in science and try to provide complimentary activities at home.

For example, if your child is learning about the life cycle of a butterfly (a common early elementary subject) at school, you could set up a butterfly garden at home so your child can see the subject in action.

Science is everywhere, and part of your job as a parent is to help your child see that. Many parents take for granted things like electricity or sunrises or changing seasons; we forget children haven’t had as much experience with these things as we have.

Try to look at things through your child’s eyes and take the time to discuss these things. Anytime your child shows interest in a “scientific” subject (i.e. dinosaurs), do as much as you can to support that interest.

An added bonus of doing these types of activities is that you show your child you are interested in what they are learning and therefore must be interested in them. This type of parental support is a huge factor in the academic success of children.

by David McLeod

Owner School-Supply-List.com and Elementary School Teacher

David has been teaching elementary school in Central Texas for over 7 years and has over 15 years of experience in online education related websites and blogs.