Kindergarten is the place where most children are taught to read, write, and are introduced to math. Most parents understand and agree with this, but what some might not be aware of is that kindergarten does more than just prepare children for more advanced reading; the learning environment and curriculum are also formulated to prepare children to understand scientific laws and how to apply them.
If you’re a parent, you may be wondering what your little child could possibly learn about science in kindergarten. In kindergarten, children are generally introduced to the basics of science with the help of science worksheets which include; simple experiments, scientific investigations, earth science, and physical sciences.
Children have a natural curiosity, and this curiosity will be encouraged; spurring your kids to ask more questions about how and why the things around them work. Science makes children develop their analytical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Generally, here are some of the things you can expect your kindergartner’s curriculum to contain:
- Physical Science
Physical sciences include physics, chemistry, and learning how to measure, predict, and identify the properties that make up different materials. Children will learn about the materials making up different objects, the properties such as texture, size and shape, and learn about how heat and light are sources of energy.
- Earth Sciences
Earth sciences include studying everything that has to do with the Earth, with the exception of living things. Some people include the study of geography, but common knowledge is that earth sciences have to do with meteorology and geology.
Children will learn more about the earth, including the characteristics such as mountains, rivers, oceans, and desert. Also within this topic are the seasons of the earth, night-time vs. daytime, and the different phases we can observe the moon go through.
- Life Sciences
Life sciences study living things; including sciences like biology, ecology, and zoology. Children, in their study of life and its forms, will learn things like:
o The structures of common vegetation and animals – body parts, wing, leaves, etc.
o How living things are adaptable, and will change with the weather.
o The difference between living and non-living things.
o Differences and similarities between animals and plants.
- Scientific Experimentation
At this age, you won’t expect your child to conduct complicated experiments, but you can encourage their curiosity by helping them conduct basic experiments. With these activities, they will learn more about the physical, life, and earth sciences in a practical manner.
Among the things your children will learn to do are:
o Ask questions based on observations
o Compare common objects
o Describe characteristics and features of things
o Observe changes
o Predict outcomes
o Recognize patterns
A good way to help children who might be struggling with science at the kindergarten level is by introducing them to science educational materials, which you can found at a parenting web portal like this one.
An early understanding of science and how things work will help your children in the future as they begin studying science in a more in-depth way and even applying these theories in real life.
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