education central
R
BACK TO SCHOOL CONFIDENCE BUILDERS By Marcie Colledge, PhD and Kelly McCollum, MPH
aising children in an educationfriendly home can help create lifelong problem solvers. When children are encouraged to ask questions, experiment with their ideas, and explain their thought process, they develop skills that will help them excel in life in general, but especially in subjects such as science and math – ones that rely heavily on strong problem-solving skills.
1.) Expose them to role models
The good news is that even if you’re not a whiz at math or science (yet!) you can still help boost your child’s confidence and empower them to return to school with new knowledge and excitement about exploring the world around them.
• The Boy Who Loved Math by Deborah Helligman
Exposing your child to the powerful role models of the world through books, movies, television shows, etc. can help them gain confidence and inspire their own journey. By being able to picture themself accomplishing the same amazing things, they’ll feel powerful and inspired to put themselves out there and try new things. These are a few amazing role models in books or movies: Books • Marie Curie by Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara • The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague by Julia Finley Mosca • The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter.
Movies • Hidden Figures (PG) • Black Panther (PG-13) • Code Girl (documentary) • The Imitation Game (PG-13) • Contact (PG) • Gravity (PG-13) 2.) Wonder and solve problems together Be curious together. It doesn’t matter how much you do or don’t know about science or math –learn together. If there’s a question or problem they’re stuck on, look it up together; or encourage them to research a topic they’re wondering about then have them come tell you about it. They’ll absorb your sense of wonder and desire to learn and likely come to internalize it as their own. They’ll also be empowered to search for answers to their questions instead of having them spoon-fed to them. This will help them not only at home but also in the classroom. With the confidence to ask questions and let their teacher know when they need help, they’ll be able to better understand subjects that they didn’t feel too confident about before. 3.) Do educational activities together The best way for children to learn is by doing hands-on activities. Intentional adult-children interactions can help extend this learning, so finding way to enjoy education can make a huge difference in their confidence levels. For science especially, there are amazing resources to help facilitate these interactions and make learning a positive experience. • Visit your local science museum! You can use this directory to search for science museums in your area. • There are so many free online resources such as Yellow Scope’s blog page, which describe experiments you can do at home with supplies you probably have in your cupboard. This is a great family activity for a rainy day or during summer when kids are looking for something fun to do with friends. Set them up in the backyard and let them experiment!
28 education central
suburban family | subfam.com
September/October 2021
