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Be A Positive Role Model
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Encourage Curiosity
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Incorporate STEAM at Home
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Go to Museums and Zoos
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Go Outside
Encouraging kids to be interested in science, technology, engineering, art, and math is something that many parents struggle with. The fact is that many parents mistakenly believe that they need to be proficient with STEAM to help their kids or feel uncomfortable promoting it conceptually to their child because they remember struggling in those subjects as children, too.
- Be a positive role model: The best thing you can ever do for your kids is to be interested and enthusiastic when it comes to STEAM. Kids are ALWAYS listening to their parents. They may not always be “listening” when they are told to do something, but they are always listening to what you say. Make a conscious effort to not cast a negative viewpoint of science, technology, engineering, art, or math. Instead, focus on the fun for learning as something new and exciting, and something that sparks their curiosity. Its ok to admit you don’t know some engineering or science questions but make finding the answer together as something that is fun to do together. So, spending time by exploring things together is the best encouragement you could give to your kids.
- Encourage Curiosity: As parents we sometimes forget that even the simplest tasks or projects can be eye-opening and a learning experience for your child. Helping your kids stay curious about the world around them is a key factor that helps increase confidence in STEAM.
- Incorporate STEAM Projects at Home: STEAM goes beyond the classroom, learning STEAM should also occur at home. Whether it is cooking, making slime, or inventing your own video game. Whatever you do, do not make it a lesson. Instead focus on the experience. We provide that hands on learning; we make STEAM come alive! Through our projects we promote hands on exploration, implementation, and experimentation.
- Go to Museums and Zoos: It doesn’t have to be a science museum. Children’s museums tend to have STEM exhibits and even history and art museums offer opportunities to learn about the history of technology, how things were made, and so on.
- Go Outside: Praise your children while they are doing a project. The praise can be simple as “hey, how did you do that?” and be interested in the process. The goal as parents is to not force STEAM on our kids, but to foster a love of them (in addition to fostering their other interests and passions). We do not want STEAM subjects to become a villain. So, showing how STEAM is always around is essential to add their “things they enjoy”. When they are having fun with STEAM then the fear of failing in those subjects get reduced.