A home is a place of living and resting for the family, but it can also be a great learning ground for children when it comes to STEMlearning. Yes, parents have a big role to play in their children\’s education, and they can turn their homes into a mini STEM learning hub for their children by promoting STEM learning in their homes.
Speaking this morning at Odenigbo radio on the role of parents in promoting STEM learning in their home, our founder Uchenna Onwuamaegbu Ugwu, outlined simple ways parents can go about it.
Here are some simple ways parents can promote STEMLearning at home:
• By regularly reading and talking with their kids about STEM subjects such as Robotics and Artificial Intelligence and their impact on the future workplace, the benefits of Technology in Education over traditional methods, how to learn Engineeringwith cardboard boxes, using Computer to document files and process data, the Physics of nature, and how to use the internet in making research. Such conversations will spark children\’s curiosity and interest in making their career choice in STEM fields.
• By helping their kids to learn how to code with the aid of online learning platforms such as GitHub, Codecademy, Treehouse, Coursera, W3Schools, and more. Encouraging children to teach their parents what they have learned is also a great boost to inculcating STEM learning in them because while teaching their parents they get the opportunity to learn teaching skills, internalize the knowledge and also practicalize it.
• By providing their kids with STEM learning materials like computers, Robotics toys, and others for hands-on activities and experimentation
• By encouraging their kids to watch STEM videos and TV shows such as Annedroids (Amazon), Brains On (NPR Podcast), Creative Galaxy (Amazon), Dinosaur Train (PBS), Magic School Bus (PBS/Netflix), and Doozers (Hulu). These TV shows help children to learn project management and critical thinking, two skills that are needed for solving complex problems like building and running a successful business and executing a project.
• By engaging their kids in building STEM projects such as mobile App development, Drone building, Coding, etc. Project-based learning helps children to develop communication, creative and innovative skills, and teamwork spirit for solving day-to-day problems.
• By exposing their kids to technological devices at home such as TV, radio, washing machine, electric cooker, etc. as that will help them develop a strong flare for Technology and curiosity for how they actually work. This method is fundamental in influencing children to become Engineers at a young age by learning the Physics behind every electronic gadget and how to fix them if they break down.
With the rate at which technology is disrupting every sphere of our lives today, there is a great need for parents to promote STEM learning at home.
One other reason is to foster a conducive STEM learning environment for kids, in order to inculcate a STEM learning culture in them. Promoting STEM Learning at home also helps to get the kids acquainted with STEM at a very young age to enable them to fit into the technology-driv
However, STEM learning should not only be secluded to children. Parents must participate in promoting STEM learning in their homes because they are their children\’s first tutor, and as such possess a great influence on shaping their children\’s growth path, including their career choice, aspirations, special interests, and behaviours.
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