“The scientific temper points out the way along which man should travel. It is the temper of a free man.”
– Jawaharlal Nehru
The idea of a fast developing country can be realized only when the younger generation has a scientific temper and a rational approach towards making life choices. Children have an innate curiosity to explore, investigate, ask questions and seek answers.
Developing a child’s scientific temperament is influenced by the environment and the people he or she is with. Therefore your parenting style plays a major part in forming a scientific rationale. Here are some ways in which you can nurture a love for science in your child –
1. Create a pro-science home
Encourage your child to ask questions about almost everything. Instead of providing readymade answers or giving your opinions, allow them to seek out answers on their own. Guide and direct them to reliable sources of information. Let their TV time include more scientific programs than entertainment and give them to the company while watching.
2. Develop critical thinking skills
Give your child the liberty to doubt the well-established ideas. Let her use her reasoning and ask herself questions like, “Is there a way to prove this?”. Teach her inductive reasoning which means that specific instances can be derived from general principles. Provide her with the knowledge but allow her to marvel at mysteries that are yet to be solved.
3. Support their experiments
Steer your child away from finding answers on the internet and encourage them to use their reasoning. Cheer them on when they create models or diagrams to explain their understanding. Motivate her to debate on the traditional and unfounded biases and arrive at her own conclusions.
4. Opportunities to apply what they learn
Show your child the rising of the yeast, the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly or the sprouting of the seedlings. Take knowledge out of their textbooks into the world around them. When it comes to academics, ask them questions that cannot be obtained directly from the textbooks. Encourage her to give examples of real-life applications while explaining the concepts.
5. Employ games and electronic devices
You can add the fun element to your child’s scientific thinking by playing games like chess that help in developing his logical sequencing and strategic skills. Reading comprehension passages not only improve their knowledge but also nurture their scientific temper. Make use of the riddles and brain teasers that are available on your smartphone to encourage their scientific exploration.
Stay focused and on track!
Today’s world is replete with misinformation, uncertainty, so developing a child’s scientific temperament cannot be done instantly. At Winmore Academy, one of the top CBSE schools in Bangalore, we have avant-garde science laboratories equipped with the relevant and essential tools for experimentation. Our teachers ensure that our students gain first-hand learning experience by watching and involving in the lab activities. Through consistent effort and support, our children will be the innovative doctors, engineers, and scientists of the next generation.