Is there any preschool science curriculum that can stimulate curiosity, while teaching science concepts, and avoiding boring lessons that are inappropriate for the child’s age? A lot of times homeschooling parents shy away from planning for preschool science because they live with the impression that science is all about chemical reactions and formal experiments.
When teaching a preschooler, think of science in terms of discovering, exploring, and nurturing the curiosity of the preschooler about what goes on around them. While planning, begin by asking questions that will bring meaningful information to the children. For instance, while decorating a pumpkin for Halloween ask questions like, why do pumpkins have lines? What is inside a pumpkin? Questions help children explore.
Increase vocabulary
Science activities are really helpful in increasing descriptive vocabulary. For instance, words like, soft, crunchy, sink, juicy, float, dry, heavy, rough, light, and cold are only a few examples of words that can easily be reinforced and can help preschool students gain better understanding of the world.
Travel outdoors
Take the children outside so they can have firsthand experiences with nature. Go for nature walks, parks, dig in the dirt, feel the wind, climb rocks. Go outside in every kind of weather – each experience can help bring new prospects for learning.
Bring outdoors in
Bring in things your child can explore such as shells, rocks, seeds, plants, leaves, flowers, vegetables, fruit, dirt, and more. Include a range of different containers that are filled with objects that students can count, manipulate, sort and weigh.
Use charts and graphs
Share simple charts and graphs with your preschooler. Design charts that the little ones can complete on their own. For instance, make a chart of their daily oral care routine. Each time they brush they should put a smiley next to the date.
Gardening
A great way to teach young children about seeds and plants is to do gardening with them. Teach them about digging, manure and planting and watering the seeds.
Simple science experiments
There are so many simple experiments in science that can be taken from the internet and can be performed with a preschooler. From melting ice with watercolors and salt to blowing giant homemade bubbles and mixing water with oil to see how it behaves. These fun and simple experiments will help the child learn about solids, liquids and their many forms, helping them develop a liking for science.
There are so many different ways you can make science fun and interesting for your preschooler. Being more hands on with your approach can evoke interest in the subject and make your child look out for more information.