The kinds of games the family play with the preschoolers can influence their desire of learning math and science? questions you ask and the toys you give them to play with affect this desire too.
the words of math and science for the children do not match with ours, they use words like Bigger; smaller; higher; lower; farther; nearer, faster; slower.... And these are the beginnings of math and science learning.
We usually think that children are too young to become interested in math and science, but they are not. In fact, they have born as a scientists and mathematicians by natural. the reason of that is curious. children ask questions all the time. and we have certainly noticed their love to explore and experiment. If we encourage their questions and not only answer them but also help them explore and find out the answers by their selves, we are then building their interest in math and science. Children who have such experiences during their childhood, develop an enjoyment and a confidence in math and science, which will affect them when they're older.
there are many ideas we can do to develop a preschooler's interest in science and math. well, here are some examples:
During a walk with our children, We should Take time to notice what's around us: plants, animals, ants, Butterflies, different colored flowers, etc. and if we Stop and watch, and even Talk about what we are seeing. We will be able to help our children discover by their imagination. we can Draw pictures together. pictures about what we have seen in the walk, pictures from our front steps, in the backyard, from our window. We can even ask the child to draw a plant, an animal or a favourite place. then we Ask the child to tell us about the drawing. Then, if we turn the drawing into a story. and Write what the child said about the picture down on a paper. We can later read it together as a story. We can even Make a special book of the child's art and stories.
Children need to have time every day to tell another person about what they have seen or what they think, so listen to them, ask them questions about what they're seeing and doing. while your child is telling you about what he saw on a walk, or what he liked best about the trip to the zoo for example, Your child has to think and choose words. Children practice saying out loud what is inside their heads. And they learn that their ideas are important to you.
Toys are a very important part of the child's life, so we have to choose toys that help them learn. because Children depend on playing to discover and learn about the world. We must provide them by toys that encourage them to imagine and explore, not the most expensive ones which we see on television. The toys they need are often simple, last a long time, and don't use batteries. They don't have to be expensive either. Great toys include:
BALLS:
Balls have many kinds and sizes, but they are all bouncy, rolly, and can be thrown in the air, and can be raced with, in the garden at the grass or in park at the floor or even at the sidewalk. Races also can take many shapes, whose ball bounces highest? Lowest? whose one sinks in water and whose floats?
Water:
Let our children experiment with different objects in a dishpan of cool water. Let them try sinking and floating several things, such as their plastic toys, balls, soap bars, and other objects. Ask them to group the objects which sink in one pile and the objects which float in another.
Blocks:
Building blocks is the most effective playing on the children's love to science and math. whether they were wooden, plastic, or cardboard blocks, we can also use the egg cartons, cornflakes boxes, or wood scraps. For young children, we have to make sure blocks are big enough to handle easily. Have enough of them in various shapes and sizes to build something really interesting. Children who build are learning geometry, even though we don't use that term.
Puzzles:
Puzzles incredibly develop children's ability to solve problems! because they help them thinking, practicing, and learning shapes, sizes, and colours. If the child is too young, we should use puzzles with a few large pieces. We can even make our own puzzle by cutting a picture into large pieces, and then ask our children to get it back. Older children can do harder puzzles. The more they do, the better they develop.
Planting:
Planting a garden with our children, any size garden, is a great family activity. A garden can be a patch of dirt in the yard or a container at the window sill. Measure the space or container. Figure out where the plants will get sunlight. Find out how much seeds will cost. Count the seeds. Measure the rows. Watch the plants grow. Pick vegetables. Look for insects. Learn what plants need to be healthy. What a lot of math and science there is in gardening!
Reading:
Read books out loud every day to the children. share them looking at picture books together. Alphabet and counting books are very helpful. we must put going to the school library, or even the public library in our regular plan. Older brothers and sisters can be good story readers. e can also make our child read to us if he wants to, or tell us a story depending on the pictures in the book. Just develop the habit of reading.
limit TV watching.
Turn off the TV and limit watching. because it takes time away from the more necessary activities, like playing with blocks or balls, being outdoors, doing puzzles, drawing, or looking at books. It's a hard habit to break. Kids who do things other than watch TV usually do better in science and math in school. If we have to let them watch TV, we must choose the children programs carefully. and it would be even better if we watch them with our child.