Have you ever noticed your children keenly observing their surroundings? Perhaps, you’ve been inundated with questions about why an ant can carry food that’s bigger than their bodies; maybe you’re asked how a plant turns carbon dioxide into oxygen during the day. The fact remains, most parents believe that these questions will be addressed by a qualified teacher in a classroom during science class. And while there’s a certain timetable that most schools adhere to, the question remains—is the time spent in science class truly enough? “When my son started kindergarten over five years ago, I was shocked that there’s no time dedicated to the subject of science at all. Yes, they do have an hour a week dedicated to social sciences, but that’s where it ends,” says 35-year-old homemaker, Shilpa Desai*. “I realised that getting my child intrigued in science was something that began at home, so I encourage him to ask questions, and do my best to answer them. If I don’t know something, I just Google it,” she says.
And Desai isn’t wrong to think that the interest in the subject begins at home. If you have a science-friendly home, there’s a greater chance that a child will inculcate the interest, begin to ask questions, explore, and even experiment on their own. So, if you’re keen to get your children interested in science, the key is to create an environment conducive to it.
Here’s how you can raise a science-minded child:
Look Beyond The Classroom
While you may not always want to seem that you’re forcing your child to ‘study’ or do ‘homework’, when you look for extracurricular activities that can be educational, it won’t seem like you’re always trying to teach them. Patricia Fernandes*, a retired school principal at a Mumbai-based all-girl’s school, says, “A few years ago, I read a study that said three out of four Nobel Prize winners in science discovered their passion for the subject outside of the classroom. In India, the education system has always laid higher emphasis on higher scores in board exams than they do in developing talent or fuelling curiosity. Fortunately, times are changing. But parents should not solely reply on classroom learning, and take steps to foster their child’s curiosity and penchant for experimentation.”
Encourage Videogames
No, we don’t mean those point and shoot games that have most kids (read: grown men) mindlessly waste hours playing. While Call of Duty, or Angry Birds are fun, encourage your kids to look at strategy-based games line Minecraft that call for critical thinking, planning, teamwork, and a whole lot of attention before any moves can be made. Playing real-time strategy videogames not only means customising complex virtual worlds, but they come equipped with educational mods that also help children learn the basics of programming. This can further encourage kids to learn how to code.
Go Out And Explore
It’s a known fact that children learn by observing their parents and caregivers. So what does this mean for fostering science-mindedness? While a parent may not have all the answers, there’s no reason why you can’t meet their curiosity with equal excitement. Says Fernandes, “The best way to get your child excited about science and nature is to share their curiosity. For example, if you hear a bird chirping, wonder out loud what kind of bird it is, and encourage your children to search and discover the answers for themselves.” This practice can be replicated for various fields—biology, chemistry, and even physics. Moreover, simplifying it now will help them better relate to it when the subject is introduced in the classroom.
Take Regular Field Trips
If you’ve got your kids interested in their surroundings, and have piqued their curiosity when it comes to physics or biology, it’s time to take this learning up a notch with field trips. Make an adventure out of a family trip, and go hiking to various bird sanctuaries for some intriguing bird watching. It helps to do your research beforehand. “Back in the day, whenever schools organised trips to museums or bird sanctuaries, kids who’d visited before always felt a certain sense of pride for having recognised a bird species, or machine, or things that were on display. This always fostered a healthy exchange as it got other kids curious as well,” Fernandes recalls. Kamakshi Roy*, a 37-year-old creative director at a Mumbai-based creative agency, agrees. “I remember one particular time when my son came back extremely excited after his school trip to the Karnala Bird Sanctuary because he could spot the most birds from his class. My husband and I had taken him a few times because he love identifying various bird calls, and in a city like Mumbai, you hardly hear too many of them.”
Fight Stereotypes
First things first, science is part of daily life. There’s definitely no denying that. Which makes it imperative to break away from those pigeonholes, and typecasting science as “strictly for brainiacs”. If you remind your child that baking is a form of chemistry, or that playing with blocks does involve physics, there’s a good chance that your child will continue to be interested in learning more. Says Fernandes, “While studies show that boys tend to develop an affiliation for maths and technology by the age of 13, that’s really no reason to not encourage your daughter to hone her interests in the subject. It’s important for parents to encourage and support their children’s interests, no matter what their affiliation, and this will help them steer clear of stereotypes.”
The fact remains, when you make something a habit, there’s a good chance it will stick. Introducing science week at home, or curiosity corner as part of a weekly family activity, is a great way to foster curious children who are not afraid to ask the right questions. “Today’s curious child has the potential to become one of tomorrow’s greatest scientific minds,” Fernandes signs off.
*Names have been changed on request.