Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them. Helping them enjoy science can be easy; there is no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment. You only have to share your children’s curiosity. Firstly, listen to their questions. I once visited a classroom of seven –year- olds to talk about science as a job. The children asked me “textbook questions” about schooling, salary and whether I liked my job. When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in science. Finally I said,” Now that we’ve finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about science?”
After a long pause, a boy raised his hand, “have you ever seen a grasshopper eat? When I try eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache. Why?”
This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours.
Secondly, give them time to think. Studies over the past 30 years have shown that. After asking a question, adults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think. When adults increase their “wait time” to three seconds or more, children give more logical, complete and creative answers.
Thirdly, watch your language. Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don’t jump in with “That’s right” or “very good”. These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior. But in talking about science, quick praise can signal that discussion is over. Instead, keep things going by saying, “That’s interesting” or “I’d never thought of it that way before’, or coming up with more questions or ideas.
Never push a child to “think”. It doesn’t make sense; children are always thinking, without your telling them to. What’s more, this can turn a conversation into a performance. The child will try to find the answer you want, in as few words as possible, so that he will be a small target for your disagreement.
Lastly, show; don’t tell. Real-life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lesson children can learn from a book or a television program. Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying glass, and they’ll understand why you want them to wash before dinner. Rather than saying that water evaporates, set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.
小题1:According to the passage, children are natural scientist, and to raise their interest, the most important thing for adults to do is______________.
A．to let them see the world around
B．to share the children’s curiosity
C．to explain difficult phrases about science
D．to supply the children with lab equipment小题2:In the last sentence of the first paragraph, the word “list” could best be replaced by ______________.
A．any questions
B．any problems
C．questions from the textbooks
D．any number of questions小题3:According to the passage, children can answer questions in a more logical, complete and creative way if adults______________________.
A．ask them to answer quickly
B．wait for one or two seconds after a question
C．tell them to answer the next day
D．wait at least for three seconds after a question小题4:In which of the following paragraph (s) does the author tell us what to say to encourage children in a science discussion?
A．The 2nd and 3rd
B．The 4th and 5th
C．The 5th and 6th
D．The 7th小题5:The author mentions all of the following techniques for adults to share with their children’s curiosity except that adults should_____________.
A．tell their children stories instead of reciting facts
B．offer their children chances to see things for themselves
C．be patient enough when their children answer questions
D．encourage their children to ask questions of their own
