Science Corner: What about experiments?

Experiments take time and preparation. You have to make sure you have the supplies. You need to read ahead to make sure you know the science behind it. You have to be willing to answer the questions that will inevitable come up. So is it worth doing experiments with your elementary age student?

Most definately YES! Experiments are the best way for your student to learn the principles of science in a fun and enjoyable way. Experiments make science an exiciting adventure. It's a sneaky way of teaching your student the principles of science and it's definately worth the time and effort you put in.

So how do you go about adding experiments to your week?

I highly recommend any book by Janice VanCleave! She uses common household items for her experiments and gives thorough explanations of the science behind them. She has books for every discipline of science and most are available at your local library. Add in some living books about the topic you are studying and you've got a complete science curriculum free from the library.

If you don't want to do the planning yourself, find a curriculum that does it for you. Elemental Science offers plans that include reading schedules, narrations, experiments and ongoing projects. Biology for the Grammar Stage was what sparked my own daughter enthusiasm for science. Although I believe Elemental Science offers the best, it's not the only program to include frequent experimentation. You could also check out NOEO and Real Science by Pandia Press.

The main goal of science in the elementary age is to get your student interested and excited about science. They will learn far more about Newton's law through experimentation than they ever would by reading a book. So get up, get yourself an experiment book and start learning!