Science Fair Tips for Parents Here are some suggestions for ways that you can get involved in science email to friend
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Visit your child’s science class. By visiting the classroom, this shows both your child and the teacher that you are interested in science. If you are unable to personally visit the class, make it a point to inquire about what your children are learning about in science.

Ask questions about science programs at the parent-teacher conferences or PTA meetings. Find out if students are doing inquiry- based experiments and hands-on activities as part of their science curriculum. Inquire about science assemblies, guest speakers, and programs that have been successful in other schools. See if there are activities you can do at home to supplement class instruction.

Seek out ways to help your child’s teacher and school. Volunteer to help with science related field trips, find materials and equipment, start an after-school science discovery club, or assist with classroom science projects.

Check homework and don't expect that all homework will be easy. Look at completed work regularly. If you had a bad experience with science when you were in school, don’t expect that your child will have a similar experience. Be positive in your comments.

Keep past math and science homework, notes and tests. Put all materials in a binder so your child can check earlier work when he or she needs a refresher. This binder is actually a portfolio that shows your child’s progress from the beginning of the school year.

Challenge your child to “prove it!” The job of a scientist is not to just arrive at a stab-in-the-dark answer but to prove what he or she believes to be true using good scientific reasoning. Whether or not your child comes up with the correct answer to a problem, play the devil’s advocate and challenge them to “prove it.” Questions like, “How do you know that?” help to develop critical thinking skills and help the child to analyze his or her own reasoning.

Show how science relates to the real world. Try to relate science to real-life situations, such as understanding the concept of air pressure to predict the weather, or how recycling helps the environment.

Watch science-related television shows with your child. Look on the regular networks, public television, and cable channels for science programs and reports of scientific discoveries. Watch with your children so they can ask questions.

Children, especially younger ones, learn science best and understand scientific ideas better if they can experiment and explore on their own. Since different children have different interests, you will want to find the right hands-on science activity for your child. Try to find activities that engage your child in “hands-on / minds-on” science. “Wondering” is an important part of any science lesson. Sometimes we forget about the wondering aspect of science and concentrate our efforts on merely teaching the facts. Science education is more than just teaching the facts. Children get turned on to science because science provides them with answers to their wonderment.

If you are really looking for a unique way to get your child turned on to science, consider a summer science camp offered through one of the local universities. Typically, these week-long camps give children the opportunity to conduct fun experiments in a real laboratory setting.

Most importantly, remember to make science FUN! If you are enthusiastic about exploration and scientific discovery, your enthusiasm is bound to be contagious.

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