Science Questions from Your Third Grader
One way you can definitely help your child adjust to their new pace of learning is to continue to answer and help them with their school related questions. As you can expect, their science related questions will have a lot to do with trying to understand what they're currently studying. Be in tune to your child's curriculum and discuss their class topics with them as often you can.
Some children may be shy about asking questions. If your child is not asking you any questions, go ahead and ask some questions of your own. Usually if you start off the questions, your child will open up and start asking you all of their questions. Making sure that they understand everything and don't have any unanswered questions is important to their being able to survive school. You can do this for other classes too, not just science.
A good trick to making sure all your child's science questions have been answered is to do their homework with them or be present while they do their homework. If you want to teach your child independence, read a book while they do their homework in the same room. This way you are right there should a question arise, and you are ready to help them figure out an answer. Getting them Interested: Earth Science
Science is a fascinating subject. It really is. To get your child interested in science, you have to show them just how fascinating science can be. Earth science is a particularly interesting science that often appeals to third graders because it discusses the solar system and outer space. Many children are fascinated by what lies beyond the earth. Starting with tales on the solar system is a good trick to getting them interested in science. Little boys love stories of space explorations while little girls are likely to enjoy the various Greek myths and studying the constellations.
Once your child is fascinated by science, pique their interest by showing them the fun side to science and scientific discovery. Earth science has many possibilities for experiments that are fun and exciting. Try starting a rock collection with your child, or taking them to visit the different colored beaches in theworld. Also, show your child that science can be fun and useful. This usually keeps them interested in the subject.
Finally, back up your fun and fascinating topics with pop culture. Usually if you've failed to dazzle them before, this trick will work. It's because, during the third grade, your child is starting to follow trends or starting to form concrete interests in certain subjects. For example, the third grade is the time young boys often get into comic book reading. Support this! A lot of the comic book story lines rely on science and scientific concepts to explain why this character is a mutant or why that character survives as a cyborg.
Show your child how what they like to do is actually related to science and what they need to learn! Bridging this gap can make your job of getting them interested in science much easier, and they are likely to try and find their own connections as they go along. This works for cartoons and movies too, so go ahead and watch some TV with your child. You just might find the answer to how you can get them interested in earth science.
Next Article: Third Grade Science: Getting them Involved
