‘tt te ae keny wtui A we sate next Wedine: huchi ic sal ap Bre video och “ace oeck| a8 ag “an bons] Portal es iA2"in ‘an au A Lilley an on t] sale n an hamed, o ala Ok ae acon “areuci merapve es Hi a OF EDUCATION Jump Start Learning With Science Education by Dr. Claude Mayberry (NAPSA)—Science education, especially in the early elementary grades, can help to improve reading, writing, speaking, math and critical thinking skills. Parents and guardians can help reinforce this improvement by playing an active hd role in creating simple, fun science activities all year long. They can start by recognizing that Dr.Claude Children are curious : P children are born natural scientists. __Mayberry about the world around them and open to learning the “how” and “why” behind everyday things. That’s why, with parental guid- ance, the home can be an excellent place to conduct low-tech, handson science experiments. Here’s what parents can do: Children can be encouraged to see how manydifferent types of bugscan be found in the backyard. * Young people can experiment with simple food dyes to make different colors and see how thecolors react with different foods and substances, like celery stalks, sand or cookingoil. A homescience experiment doesn’t have to be complicated to capture a child’s imagination. It can be as simple as putting different types of bread in a plastic bag to watch the mold grow. The public library can be another excellent place for a parent to encourage a child’s interest in science. Parents can start by making a visit to the library a weekly event and spending time with a child in the science section. If parents aren’t sure which science books are appropriate, they can let a librarian be their guide. Parents can also make available education magazines that are geared towards young children. Science Weekly introduces current science topics for children in grades K-8 and offers ideas for making science-learning part of everyday life. For more information about Science Weekly, parents can visit www.scienceweekly.com or call 1-800-4weekly for a free trial subscription. In addition to parental involvement, some corporations are also promoting an interest in science education. For example, Lyso.™ Brand has teamed up with the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) to provide $1,500 grants to teachers who develop effective, interactive science projects in the classroom. The LysoL/NSTA Science and Your Health Challenge grant can be used to attend the national science teachers’ conference and to purchase science supplies for the classroom. For more information, visit www.nsta.org/lysol. Dr. Claude Mayberry is a nationally recognized educator and president of Science Weekly Magazine.
