Whether you are a parent, teacher or even just someone who is trying to learn about science for their own interests STEM education can be beneficial for children of all ages. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Sometime STEAM is used as well – that includes the Arts.
STEM instruction can consist of using STEM toys or STEM projects which teach children about science subjects in an easily understandable way. For many years STEM was not seen as important as other subjects such as reading and writing but it is now a mandatory subject that must be taught at school. Home instruction does have some opponents however who say that it will put off students from learning stem subjects at school. This article aims to examine various ways that stem education can be taught at home while making sure to keep the love of science and math alive and strong.
Why is STEM education important?
STEM education is a fast growing industry in America. This means that stem careers will be a major part of your life for the foreseeable future.
STEM jobs are not just for engineers and scientists anymore; they also expand into many different fields including graphic design, law enforcement, finance and marketing. That’s why stem education is so important: it provides opportunities to explore new ideas and broaden horizons as well as secure a job or career path with growth potential.
Let’s explore what teaching STEM at home by parents or guardians to accelerate their child’s learning in science and math skills.
What does STEM education at home look like
For many parents it seems like there are not enough hours in the day to teach their children stem subjects without having to hire tutors or go through long and tedious lesson plans. The good news is that stem education can be done right from home, with minimal time commitment on the part of the parent. There are many ways for parents to get creative with stem education.
We can’t cover them all, but we can go over some methods. These stem education methods range from teaching stem subjects while playing board games, to incorporating stem subjects into actual real life scenarios. Many of these stem educational methods include the use of electronic devices, such as tablets or laptops.
One surefire method is to look at buying some stem kits for kids. These companies such as KiwiCo and Steve Sprangler Science give your child a fun, educational kit for a small monthly fee.
The Benefits of STEM Education at home
As mentioned earlier, STEM stands for Science Technology Engineering and Math, all the major components that are taught in school today. There are many websites and books out there today that can help you teach STEM lessons right inside your home or classroom. Websites such as www.stemkitchenreations.com; www.pbskids.org/zone and others.
This stemmed from the DOE (Department of Education) who have realized that there is a need for more advanced technical personnel in order to fully utilize their intellectual abilities and any other source of energy that may exist within our globe which can be harnessed for future use. Students are now exposed to stem related courses starting from middle school where they can learn about engineering skills such as designing robotic devices or how programming languages work on different computers.
STEM education strategies use innovation and hands on activities based on stem curriculum topics that are meaningful and fun. STEM activities focus on strongly building critical thinking skills before delving into complex learning experiences that build problem solving abilities, imagination, and creativity. STEM stem activities are research-based strategies, not just a fashionable new method of getting kids to learn stem subjects in the classroom.
STEM education focuses on building critical thinking skills that lead to an ability to problem solve and see things from different perspectives. Studies show that stem education benefits children who participate in stem activities as early as preschool by reducing frustration, anxiety and stress levels both at home and at school [1]. Stem education teaches children how to learn new material faster than traditional teaching methods through their strong focus on critical thinking skills. Also stem schooling helps students develop into learners who enjoy taking risks, working with classmates towards a common goal and taking pride in their workmanship.
In conclusion, stem activities have a powerful impact on children and stem education coaching encourages students to take ownership of their studies, develop healthy study habits and learn how to effectively apply stem knowledge towards solving real world problems.