STEM is a method of learning and development which integrates science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Via STEM subject children can learn more about creative thinking, how to solve problems effectively, how to work as part of a team, take risks which they’ve thought out carefully and discover new ways of doing things.
You are your child’s first teacher and you can begin building their STEM skills from a very early age.
This can create a great foundation for their formal education. This preparatory school in Richmond dedicates a lot of time to developing pupils’ knowledge of STEM.
It all starts with play
Play is a vital part of all children’s learning. It’s through play that children learn what they are interested in, how to explore STEM subjects more deeply and begin to experience curiosity for the world at large.
Developing imagination is a huge part of play and it’s also a big part of STEM.
Here are some fun ideas which will help to teach your child some foundational skills.
- TOY BOX SCIENCE – using the contents of a toy box is a great way to engage a child in the science of weight and measure. Show your child how to choose two items and weight them in each hand. Ask them which is heaviest. Then show them how to weigh them on a scale – were they correct?
- COOKING FUN – the kitchen is a great place to further explore STEM subjects. Demonstrate how cooking involves various steps such as reading instructions, measuring ingredients, then cooking. Tell your child about each step as you complete it. Describe what you are doing and use words such as more, less, heavier, lighter, warm, cool, dissolve, mix and set. Ask your child to try to guess what will happen when you add more ingredients or alter them by cooking. Discuss how the ingredients have changed as each step is completed.
- WATER PLAY – Use bath time as learning time. Place various objects into the water and ask your child to guess if they will float or sink. Discuss why they float or sink. Discuss ways in which we might make a sinking object float or a floating object sink.
There are many ways in which you can explore STEM subject with your child. Begin looking at the world and at your day-to-day life as way into learning with your child.
Even a walk to the shops or a stroll in the park can become a lesson in STEM and the best part of it all is that it won’t even feel like learning. Children are naturally curious and love to learn facts and to explore new situations. Take advantage of that and help your child get ahead.
