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Lavinia's Window by
Michelle Weisen
A timeless Victorian novel.  Fun and enjoyable to read!
Lavinia's Window

Pre-School Science Skills

Collecting
Observing
Estimating
Measuring
Classifying
Ordering
Data Tables
and Graphs
Predicting
Establishing
Cause and
Effect
Problem-Solving

Everyday Activities

Pre-school science starts at home, as does every other early learning experience.  Here are some suggestions on developing basic science skills at home.  

Collecting
    Most kids have a lot of something, whether it's magnets, pens, toy cars, or rocks.  Encourage your child to view these things as a collection of items and have them on display or kept in a box for easy show and tell.  Your children will be proud of their collections and will get a thrill out of finding more items to add to it every day. Share your collections with your child also.  Most people are natural collectors of something, even if it is shoes!

Observing
   
Kids notice everything and ask a lot of questions.  Your child may one day say, "The paper carrier didn't come today."  When you had no idea she even knew you had a paper carrier.  Teaching your child to observe things will be easy.  All you need to do is direct them towards something to observe.   The seasons of the year are a good start.  If you live in warm climates watch the news for signs of the seasons.  Try to observe things that are around your home.   Observe the birds in your yard, the dog next door, a banana as it turns brown, or even the routine of a parent.

Estimating
   
How many potatoes will it take to fill up this bowl?  How many cups of water to fill up this pitcher?  How many cookies are in the jar.   How many steps will it take to get to bed.  These are some good examples of estimating games.  See if you can think of some more.

Measuring
    The kitchen is a great place to start learning measuring skills.  The more you involve your child in baking, the more she will learn.   Keep a record of your child's height and weight, this is a great ongoing project.

Classifying
     Putting the groceries away is a good sorting game for children big enough to help.  They can take the items out of the bags and put them next to the refrigerator, freezer, and counter for you to put away.  Laundry is a good place to sort also.  Your child can separate the clothes into piles of colors, and into stacks of ownership when they are clean.  

Ordering
    Talk about the sequence of events for the day with your child.   Chances are she will know the schedule better than you.  You can arrange pillows or stuffed toys from smallest to largest. 

Making Data Tables and Graphs
    This is a great way to  make a difference in your child's science education future,  put it on paper.  Make charts of anything you can think of, like how many birthdays are in each month or how many glasses of juice you drink a day.  Anything you can put to paper is a step in the right direction.

Predicting  
    It is wonderful to hear children give their bests guess as to what something is, how something is done or why some things happen.  Hide a part of a picture and see if she knows what it is.  Set out some kitchen gadgets and see what she comes up with, or plant some different items and predict if they will sprout.   Try this with things that are unfamiliar to your child. 

Establishing Cause and Effect
    Ask your child a lot of "What will happen if..." questions.  What will happen if you drop an egg on the floor, on a pillow  or on a sponge.  What will happen if you drop a crumpled piece of paper and a flat piece of paper?  Which will hit the ground first. 

Problem-Solving
    Involve your child in your everyday problem solving activities.  What is for dinner is a favorite of mine.  What do we need to make the meal?  Have your child help you determine what cleans a stain the best, water, vinegar, or soap. 
  

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