STEM develops your child’s creativity and analytical skills, teaching them about modern life. Use these tips to encourage your kid’s interest in STEM.
STEM education focuses on the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. STEM can develop your child’s problem-solving skills and innovative thinking. These fields can enrich your child’s mind, and they also form the foundation for many lucrative, stable, and fulfilling careers. Discover five ways to encourage your kid to like learning STEM.
1. Visit Science Museums and Science Centers
Museums display fascinating artifacts and objects related to natural history, geology, paleontology, and other studies. Many science centers also feature interactive exhibits that give kids the opportunity for hands-on learning and discovery. One of the most fun places you can take your child to is the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), which features a large-screen theater, a planetarium, and exhibition halls.
2. Recognize Real-World Applications
One of the best ways to encourage your kid to enjoy learning STEM is to point out its real-world applications. For example, cooking and baking give your child the opportunity to use math as they measure quantities of ingredients. Grocery shopping presents a similar opportunity for your child to use numbers in a real-life situation.
3. Encourage Curiosity
Children are naturally curious, asking questions about the world around them. Asking questions such as “why,” “how,” and “what if” is a critical part of solving problems and engaging with the world with a STEM mindset. You can ask your child these questions or let your child ask you. Then, instead of giving the answers readily, you can discuss your child’s thoughts and the reasoning behind them.
4. Enjoy STEM-Related Entertainment
Entertainment has the power to impart lessons in fun ways. Whether your child reads a book about dinosaurs, plays an interactive math game, or watches a movie about space travel, they’re engaging their creativity and learning about the value of STEM. You can further the educational value of STEM-related entertainment by discussing how science, technology, engineering, or math played a role in the story, game, show, or movie.
5. Cultivate Tenacity
Finally, STEM studies require your child to ask questions, form possible answers, and test those answers. Cultivate your child’s tenacity so that they can persist and thrive through the challenges. Teach your child that it’s OK not to know the answer and that making mistakes is normal. The important thing is to learn from those experiences, apply yourself, and show determination to continue trying.
