Supporting Scientific Discovery at Home

Many homeschool families want to add science to their homeschool routines but feel overwhelmed by the idea.

We asked Mona Younes, our Science and Math mentor for the middle and high school groups, to weigh in on how families can best support scientific learning at home. Here is what she had to say:

"Everything begins with observation."

Kids observe things that adults don't necessarily see and sometimes we can shut those observations down or give quick answers rather than allowing space for a child's curiosity to lead them to discovery.

If you can get into silly mode and not answer your child's questions immediately, then you can help support an experience that becomes interesting and engaging for your child. Asking your child questions in return that you may already know the answers to allows them to use their observations to explore deeper.

In Winter, a lot of observations can spark curiosity and deeper conversations. By digging deeper with questions, you can also make imaginative stories that allow you to compare and contrast with previous things that have been observed or asked about.

"Don't get too bogged down with what you want something to look like."

Many times when we want to learn science, we think it needs to be structured and organized in a certain way but the reality is that real science doesn't always work that way.

If you try to structure too much from the start, the children can lose interest because they can't see where things are going or where they will end. It is more important for them to explore, be able to explain what they're observing, and be critical thinkers rather than trying to get the "right" answer or have the perfect presentation.

Sometimes we get too bogged down trying to make sure kids are ready for the next level that we squelch their curiosity and imagination. When you keep the curiosity and the fun involved, the children will learn. And by the time they're 12-15, then they can learn to organize their thoughts and ideas into a certain structure.

We can also get stuck in looking for correct information. But there are no necessarily right or wrong answers. It's more important to use questions that will help lead the children to what you think is correct, even if it may not be, than to correct them yourself. This is especially important for younger children. For older kids, they don't want or like to be wrong. When you constantly correct them, it stops them from being able to lead and they will stop giving you answers because they don't want to be corrected or countered outright.

Science is always changing. Much of what we were taught when we were kids is different now. It's not about absolute truths, its about what we can understand and explain. Maybe your child will discover something that we don't even know yet.

"Science is not a subject, it's the way we see the world in general."

Science is simply how we explain the world just like math is simply the numbers that we use in the world.

Chemistry is how we see compounds and chemicals. Biology is the study of life and living things. Physics is the study of motion. Science doesn't have to be a subject because anything you do with your children when you are curious about the world around you becomes an exploration of science. It's just life.

When you approach it that way, then your children learn that everything is naturally science rather than "omg we have to learn science right now."