Turn children’s questions into a love of science – no matter how daft they seem

“Who grew my shoes?” – Children’s inquisitive nature should be harnessed into a love of exploring and investigating

I assume you all got up this morning, breakfasted, and travelled to work to begin your busy day. Did you stop to reflect or wonder about the science that is part of all those daily routines and activities we take for granted? For instance, where did the wheat grow to produce your cereal or toast? Was it a good harvest this year? What are you wearing? Did the materials grow or were they man-made? What are their properties, why did you choose those clothes in particular? Are you aware of the huge industries behind the things we all use?

How often do we share these musings with the children we teach? Or ask them what they have been wondering about on their way to school, encouraging them to question what goes on around them?

Research shows that children have innate curiosity from an early age. They want to know where things come from and how they work. For the primary teacher, this makes science a joy and a privilege. We can build on this inquisitiveness by giving children experiences that help develop their wonderings in purposeful contexts. We are the catalysts for their curiosity from the beginning of their journey, and if we get it right it will lead to a lifelong love of science.

So ask yourself, does your school create enough opportunities for children to question, explore and investigate some of the bigger questions that relate to their everyday lives? Then ask yourself if you have the enthusiasm and determination to make this happen in your classroom.

This can begin simply by familiarising young children with the language of science through the creation of, say, a mud kitchen outside the classroom. It can be constructed at no cost by parents, grandparents and carers donating unwanted kitchen utensils and then adding soil, water, gravel and anything else the children can find in the school environment. Once built, it gives the children in your school the freedom to explore science skills through play; stand back, watch language barriers being broken down, and fine motor skills flourish.

Next, expand into engineering through tinkering with old electrical appliances and construction materials and see children become inventors. This kind of exploration, child-led investigation and purposeful communication allows our children to develop the skills of independent thinkers, risk-takers and problem solvers.

“But time is an issue,” I can hear you say. I agree. It is and always will be. But quality time is key in science. Real-world science evolves over time through trial and error, repetition of results and gathering further evidence. Taking more time over the actual science, repeating and refining investigative work, is much more valuable than stopping and rushing on to the next thing. We need to recognise that less can be more, and by taking this approach we might improve children’s progress in more than just science.

Remember, we began by thinking about the joy of exploring real-world science. Primary science has no hierarchy. Its most endearing quality is its ability to share. So step outside your comfort zone and interact with what’s out there. Bring practical science back to the core of your school.

There could not be a better time to connect to real-world science and extend learning beyond the boundaries of your own school, as there are so many opportunities to build links between children and scientists working in their field of expertise. Did you know that children can ‘Train like an Astronaut,’ ‘Blog with the Space Station’, be a ‘Nature Detective’ or a ‘Forensic Scientist’ or embark on a ‘Science Trail’? Why not contact the Primary Science Teaching Trust where you can get help to push the boundaries? The PSTT website (PSTT.org.uk) has a wealth of resources to support all the suggestions made in this article. I am offering you the challenge to take a few risks, talk about science, and share with the children. So set up some contexts to let your children fly.

About the author

Kathy Schofield is the College Director at Primary Science Teaching Trust (pstt.org.uk)