Ways to Inspire Your Children to Learn Science

Encouraging your child to learn, and enjoy learning, is a large part of your job as a parent. From their first A-B-Cs to the advanced subjects they learn in secondary school, our children learn something new every day. But learning can be a stressful experience for children, and science is often a subject that many struggle with. The good news, however, is that you can play a powerful role in stimulating your kids’ love of science and the natural world around them. You just need to have the right tools at your disposal. 

Here are four ways to motivate your children to learn science – and enjoy it too.

1. Throw out route textbook memorization for hands-on learning

Schools turn to textbooks because in the past they were the most efficient way to teach a lot of kids the same concepts at the same time. Today, however, that simply isn’t true; the modern-day world is full of fun resources to help children learn even the most complicated subjects. There are even countless videos on YouTube covering this subject matter in more fun, relatable ways that your kids will love. From spending some time playing educational games to creating models or even performing real-life experiments, there are plenty of ways to inspire your child. Building a model of the solar system with your child, for example, is a fantastic way to bring abstract concepts to life for them. Painting each planet will also develop their arts and crafts skills at the same time.

2. Use the natural world to help your child learn

Being stuck in a classroom or inside completing homework is a quick way to make your child resent their time in school. While students can learn some concepts more efficiently with a certain amount of memorising and sitting down with a book, it’s also just as vital for children to understand how science works with the world around them. From natural examples of gravity – the classic apple falling from the tree – to understanding wildlife and plant life, the natural world can be the best teacher for your kids. Bring them outside and get inspired to love science by letting them see how science can be applied to real life.

3. Hire a tutor

It might seem like something only suitable for students that are struggling. But in fact, tutoring is an increasingly popular way to supplement and support your child’s education. As experts at what they do, tutors are trained to help children to feel inspired, understand subjects and succeed in school. Today, around 96% of parents claim they wouldn’t judge others for employing a tutor for their children – making them an even more suitable option for your kids if they need that little extra push. As parents, we do our best to support our kids in their learning – but we’re certainly not experts in the same way teachers or tutors are. By getting support, we can ensure our children are working in the right way to achieve their goals.

4. Show enthusiasm for the subjects they’re learning

Nothing makes a child less enthusiastic about a subject than a parent who is negative about it. We all have areas of learning we can’t stand – whether it’s math, science or just about any other subject. Our discomfort gives us an excellent chance to model developing a growth mindset to our child.  We can show our own excitement and enthusiasm with comments like, “When I was in school, I thought chemistry was abstract and boring, but all the new ways of learning about chemistry have aroused my curiosity.”  Such comments support our kids’ education and stir their own desire to learn. It’s been proven that actively involved parents reinforce their children’s education.  So, even when it comes to your worst subjects, being positive can help your child to want to discover more and understand their subject matter even better than before.

While science will always be a subject some students struggle with, inspiration can make all the difference to how they view even the most difficult of subjects. Whether it’s hiring a tutor, finding new ways to learn or simply being enthusiastic yourself, you’re the first step to providing them with that motivation that encourages your children to learn and grow.