As a parent who homeschools your children, you need to be an “expert” on all topics, including science. Although you might feel overwhelmed with the thought of providing your children with quality science lessons, it can actually be fun and easy! Simply follow these tips on teaching science to your homeschooled child.
Know What to Teach
The first step to teaching science to your homeschooled child is to know what exactly you need to teach. Depending on your children’s ages, their science goals could be something very simple or extremely complex. For example, one science goal for a kindergarten-aged child is to observe the changes a frog goes through from birth to adulthood. Meanwhile, a homeschooled high school student might be expected to dissect a frog and view different muscle tissues under a microscope. Before your school year starts, do some research and discover what your children’s science goals should be for the year.
Invest in Supplies
Once you know your children’s science goals, don’t forget to invest in some supplies. Some basics you might want to consider include test tubes, droppers, and a microscope. If you have all of the proper supplies ready at the beginning of the year, your children will be able to progress through their science goals smoothly, moving from one goal to another at their own pace.
Keep a Scientific Journal
After all that prep work, you’re ready to start teaching science to your homeschooled children. Start your first science lesson by creating a scientific journal. Let your children personalize their journals so that they’re excited to use them. Explain to your children that these journals will be used to record findings from the different science experiments they try, as well as for asking questions that could lead to future experiments! Science is all about asking questions and then finding a way to answer them. In addition to the educational benefits associated with keeping a scientific journal, you can use your children’s completed journals to show the state “proof” that your homeschooled child is learning according to his or her age level.
Get Dirty and Experiment!
This is the best part about learning science! Don’t be afraid to get dirty and experiment with your children. Science is one of the easiest subjects to teach with hands-on activities, so take advantage of this and have some fun. Let your children dig through the dirt to see how many different types of rocks they can find or use the microscope to compare different insects’ wings and body parts. Using these hands-on science experiments will help teach your children what they need to know about science, as well as fostering a love of the subject.
Teaching science to your homeschooled children should be fun and engaging. What are some experiments you and your homeschooled child have tried?
“Image courtesy of Lemonade / FreeDigitalPhotos.net”
[…] yourself too thin can throw a monkey wrench in other your plans, such as buying books, purchasing a science kit, or taking cool museum trips. Besides, you’re more likely to enjoy the co-op experience if […]