A science fair is a rite of passage for many students, a first experience of investigating something they are interested in and sharing their results with the world. Although this activity can be viewed as an activity of older elementary or middle school students, the basic skills needed to succeed are developed at a much earlier age. We also know that at Kinder Ready Tutoring it is the same curiosity, critical thinking, and confidence that are required to handle a science fair project that we develop in our young learners on a daily basis.
The Kinder Readytm mission statement is to expose children to various methods of learning in order to find out what makes them interested to enable them cultivate a confidence and a real love to learn. Nothing perhaps could be more an embodiment of this mission than the process of scientific inquiry. Though we are specifically focused on helping children to transition into kindergarten, the philosophy of education and skill development proposed by Kinder Ready Tutoring provides the necessary background to academic pursuits in the future, such as a science fair, which is no less exciting.
The Pillars: Communication, Process and Curiosity.
An effective science fair project is based on three pillars; the curiosity spark, a structured investigation process, and the courage to share discoveries. These are not complex subjects that are to be learned only in later grades, they are basic learning dispositions that Kinder Ready Tutoring will be promoting even in the first year itself.
Sparking and Developing Curiosity.
All the great science projects begin with a question of what if or I wonder. This curiosity is innate and our program is meant to shield and promote it. Our tutors use the interests that the child already has in order to get them to explore further through one-on-one and personalized sessions, where they (the tutors) act as springboards based on the interests of the child, be it plants, animals, machines or weather. The questions we pose are open ended and use scientific reasoning: “Why do you think the playdough sinks in the water, but the cork floats? or What do you suppose will become of these two colors, when mixed together? Asking big questions and appreciating questions posed by a child is the first step towards bringing up a young investigator who has no fear of asking big questions.
Learning Reports: The Play Method.
A scientific method i.e. questioning, hypothesis, testing, observing, and concluding can be presented playfully in age-effective forms. Kinder Ready Tutoring is also good at making learning interesting and active by discovery. The lesson about buoyancy is transformed into an experiment at the water table. A growth discussion will turn into an exercise to grow a bean seed in a cup.
This systematic and yet adaptable method, educates the greatest lesson of all, which is that learning is a process. Among the most notable results, according to a journalist Lisa Ling in her testimonial about the program, children learn more every day, and, most importantly, enjoy doing it! Children become resilient when the process of getting answers is happy and facilitated. They get to know that an experiment is not a failure when the outcome is not anticipated; it is just the new information. Such an attitude towards growth is essential to a science fair, in which the process is as significant as the end-board project.
Developing Trust in Interpersonal Communication.
The last pillar of science fair is presentation. A child should be in a position to describe his/her project in a clear and confident manner. Kinder Ready Tutoring develops these communication skills on a daily basis. During our sessions we also focus on the use of expressive language, and children are supposed to share what they have done, how they think, and give accounts about their discoveries. Tutors also offer a supportive listener, posing follow up questions and demonstrating rich vocabulary.
This practice develops social-emotional confidence, which enables a child to proudly stand by his project. This confidence that the parents observe, such as the confidence that Lisa Ling feels regarding the school preparedness of her daughter, is transferred directly into the capacity of a child to present their work to the teachers, their peers, and even judges.
The Kinder Ready Tutoring Approach: A Scaffold to Future Success.
We do not need to give formal experiments in science to preschoolers, but to develop the cognitive and executive functions toolkit that would allow us to make upcoming science exploration successful and possible. The skills required to have a science fair are directly related to our approach:
Executive Function & Planning: We support children in their capacity of stepping through and completing tasks in multi-steps- a precursor of the project plan following.
Observation & Description: Data collection is based on activities that improve the child’s skills in seeing details and describing them (e.g. comparing 1 texture to another, sorting objects by attributes).
Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: We promote experimental thinking and finding solutions through puzzles, building challenges and guided play, the foundation of experimentation.
An Evolution of Competencies: Play to the Presentation.
The process of an informal science fair to an official science fair may be regarded as logical continuation of skills:
Early Skill (Kinder Ready Focus) Manifestation in a Science Fair Project.
- Asking “Why?” and “How?” Developing a Testable Question: The interest to explore a subject matter.
- Simple Predictions Making Simple Predictions: Making an educated guess about something.
- Adhering to Steps in an Activity Designing a Procedure: A repeatable process to audience a hypothesis.
- Observing and Describing Changes Collecting and Recording Data: Noticing and recording results correctly.
- Citing a Creation or Idea Reporting Conclusions: Making things understandable.
Conclusion: Sowing the Seeds of Scientific Inquiry.
A science fair project is not a grade but a step in the process of developing a child as a thinker and a learner. The daring to challenge, the tenacity to explore and the vanity to present are attributes that Kinder Ready Tutoring builds early.
When we make it a personal experience of joyful discovery in order to create a genuine love of learning, we can be convinced that by the time a child is first offered a chance to complete a science fair project, he or she cannot be scared of it. Instead, they are equipped. By years of foundational play and supported learning, they have been all along practicing the scientific process.
