When I was considering what the topic of this month’s article would be, I thought it might be time to write about science – considering that’s my professional background.

In my experience talking with homeschoolers, some (though not all) tend to be timid about science – either because it was not a strong suit of theirs in their own schooling or because they don’t like it!

My challenge for you this month is to allow your kids to do some investigation. Go out of your comfort zone and present your kids with a problem and some materials to rise to the challenge. Giving your kids ownership of the investigation will take the pressure off of you and put it on your students to find an answer to the problem at hand. Feel free to join in on the fun and be a part of what unfolds. I like to watch portions of the time my kids are working on something so that when they get to a sticking point, I can offer some direction without giving any answers. Here’s a secret: That’s a great way to facilitate an investigation without always knowing all the answers yourself.

Present your students with a question (related to a point of current study) and allow them to decide how they would find the answer- scientific method anyone? Experiments don’t always have to be recipes from a book. Career scientists don’t always follow someone else’s directions. They design their own procedures to answer a question they have.

In the same authentic spirit, I really like to have my kids design their own data charts. Being able to choose a way to record information based on what they will be collecting is a great skill to refine. This also allows you to be spontaneous without always being prepared ahead of time with a lab sheet.

Or you might choose to give them an investigation unrelated to your studies, but related to one coming up or something they’ve been interested in or asking a lot about lately. Maybe they’ve asked why some things sink and some things float too many times! Sometimes I’m inspired by a magazine article (Homeschool Enrichment usually has science to try with our kids in each issue) or by a vendor newsletter I receive suggesting different ideas for investigations. I’ve been known to be sparked into action by what I hear my kids doing. Such was the case when we decided to find out the velocity of a marble traveling along the marble roller coaster. I was finishing up some things before our school day began and I heard them building an elaborate roller coaster course. They were having such a good time at it that I knew breaking off and sitting down to school might be met with some resistance. So, I shouted down to them and asked if they’d like to find out how fast their marble was going. A resounding, “Yes!” came the reply.

What followed was a meeting to determine how we might be able to find out the speed of the marble. Essentially, my kids helped to derive the formula for velocity based on what they could measure. We had to measure distance and time the marble if we were to find the speed. We talked about the pros and cons of the different ways they could measure the length of the track. We determined how many trials we should take. Once they began, they faced additional obstacles but they pressed on to find the data they needed.

This was a great lesson in physics and math and we spent the next day calculating and presenting the data and talking about how we did it. All of that good science came from suggesting to my kids they find out more about what their marble was doing. Instead of pulling them away from the fun, I nudged them in a more productive process while doing something they love. We answered the simple question, “How fast is the marble going?”

Another approach is to give them a book of experiments that speaks to their level and let them read through the procedure and try it out.  Even if you aren’t inclined to enjoy this, chances are your kids will love it. There are so many good resources for this approach. I’ll name a few series that I really enjoy and use a lot.

• Usborne has several series of books that are geared to experiments such as The Big Book of Experiments and The Usborne Book of Science Activities which are offered in three volumes.
• Janice VanCleave books- Mrs. VanCleave has written numerous books on various disciplines of science and math that provide directions for students to try out the science and even provide a simple explanation as to why it works that way.
• DK Publishing also has a number of books on science activities usually with extensive pictures of each step along the way.

The big take home message is to try and provide an environment in your homeschool that invites questioning and allows your children to investigate an answer. Some of our finest homeschooling moments have been experienced this way. We once did a very large experiment involving the scientific method and experimental design all from asking, “Which variety of popcorn is the best?” We had ordered many different varieties of gourmet popcorn and as we sampled them the kids asked that very question. This led into an extensive discussion of how we could find out. What followed was The Popcorn Pop Off Extravaganza and The Results.

Try not to be intimidated by formal processes and lots of planning. Just let your kids ask the questions and begin a conversation with them on how they could find out an answer. You never know…you could be inspiring a future scientist and the more you facilitate, the easier it gets. Everyone will look forward to the next big question and how they might go about answering it.

Heather is a homeschooling mom of four kids ranging from middle school to preschool and wife to a handsome chemical engineer. Before raising a family, she taught middle school science (with a BS in biological sciences) and has a masters degree in curriculum and instruction secondary education. Now teaching at home means the chance to provide the extraordinary for her children. She’s been homeschooling five years and you can read about those adventures on her blog, Blog She Wrote.