Provides practical guidance on developing and reinforcing scientific knowledge in preschool- through elementary-school-age children. Using this booklet, parents can gradually introduce their children to 5 basic concepts that provide a framework for understanding and connecting many scientific facts and observations: systems, order, and organization; evidence, models, and explanations; change, constancy, and measurement; form and function; and scientific integrity. Parents get step-by-step tips on a range of learning activities that demonstrate how science plays a part in everyday life, including: (1) using a magnifying glass to help children see things they otherwise could not; (2) observing bugs to improve classification skills; (3) cleaning up a spill with a paper towel to demonstrate capillary action; (4) growing crystals to introduce concepts of change and variation; (5) making a cake to help children learn about measurement as well as about chemical reactions; and (6) visiting zoos, natural-history and science museums, planetariums, aquariums, and farms. Parents also can help their children become successful science students by finding out about the school’s science curriculum and visiting their children’s classroom, assisting with classroom science projects, chaperoning science-related field trips, and leading hands-on lessons.
