Building the foundation for academic achievement and career exploration in STEM for K-12 students
What is the difference between kids who achieve academically in math and science and pursue careers in those fields and those who don’t? The difference is your academic preparation and exposure to the field during your K-12 educational experience. Many children who have the interest and intellectual capacity to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) do not do so because they are not academically prepared to major in STEM disciplines in college.
I have my own personal theory about student learning and achievement in STEM, how school systems work, and a myriad of other topics related to math and science education in our country. As a STEM educator, I constantly think about what gets kids interested in math and science and ultimately pursuing careers in those fields. We all know that in math and science you are constantly asking and answering questions and solving problems; therefore, children who are interested in math and science are likely to be naturally curious. However, I also believe that children are naturally inclined towards certain subject areas, hobbies, and interests. So I think it’s important that parents and educators work together to figure out what those are for each child and expose and encourage them on that.
One of my favorite educators, Marian Wright Edelman, said, “Parents are so convinced that educators know what is best for children that they forget that they are really the experts themselves.” I’m a big believer in this quote, because I remember a story my mom told me that my kindergarten teacher didn’t think she was going to do well because I didn’t go to pre-K. What she didn’t realize is that I had all my formative learning experiences with my mother and aunt; Because my learning was outside of the classroom, I performed better than many of my peers. So if we want to make sure our children have a strong educational foundation, feel confident in their natural talents, abilities and gifts, we need to provide them with learning experiences outside of the classroom.
Therefore, we must create learning opportunities for our students both inside and outside of the classroom and begin those learning opportunities as soon as possible. There are ways to engage preschoolers in educational math and science experiences. At that age, children are sponges and as long as the activities are practical and fun; your child can learn a lot. Although pre-kindergarten is where most children’s formal educational experience begins, it is not where your child’s educational experience should begin. Her child’s education begins as soon as she leaves the womb; therefore, begin to involve your children in learning experiences at home and in your community. In the age of technology, educational tools like websites, Leapfrog, and other educational technologies exist to engage your preschoolers in learning math and science.
Once your child enters elementary school, you can’t rely on school to be the only place where learning takes place. What I’ve noticed is that in many elementary schools, students don’t get a lot of experience and exposure to math and science for various reasons. Part of this is due to a lack of professional development with elementary teachers. Many elementary school teachers do not have a strong background in math and science or an interest in these subjects. Math doesn’t suffer as much as science because math skills are assessed on most standardized tests. However, not all school districts test children on what they are learning in science. There are some classrooms where children can only do one hour of science each week. Since elementary school is where children get their educational foundation, if they are not exposed to science, the chances that they will have an interest in science are slim to none. Students who do not have a strong educational foundation in math and science beginning in elementary school struggle to progress in middle and high school, where these subjects become more difficult and specialized.
To ensure your child is academically prepared to be successful in math and science and pursue STEM careers; You must create a system so that the home is an extension of what is taught in the classroom. The first step is to know what your child is learning in the classroom. Most schools will provide information about what your child should be learning during the school year at each grade level. Some schools inform parents through newsletters, school and classroom websites, or sometimes will take you as a parent to communicate regularly with teachers.
Once you know what your child is learning at school, you need to take steps to make sure that your home is an extension of the learning that takes place in the classroom. It starts by making sure your child has a designated place to study at home. Having a designated study place at home allows your child to stay organized while studying and creates a place for them to work. Once a designated space is found, the next step is to develop good study strategies. Developing excellent study strategies is essential for academic achievement because it ensures that your child masters the concepts that she is learning in the classroom. This should include having your child review with you what she is learning in school every day. This conversation can be as simple as asking them to tell you what they learned that day. Knowing that you are going to ask them what they might be doing in class can be a great incentive for your child to pay attention in their classroom. It should also include making sure your child is doing their homework, you can do their homework with them or just check on it every day. The final study strategy is that if your child is struggling, don’t let them struggle, but find academic support for them.
It is important to create as many learning experiences outside of the classroom as we can for our children. The Internet is a great educational tool for children, there are websites where you can find homework help, children can play educational games, you can learn about current research in math and science, and you can find experiments to do at home. The next out-of-classroom experience to take advantage of is visiting the science museums, aquariums, planetariums, and other informal educational institutions in your area. Another resource is to take advantage of programs offered in your community that give students the opportunity to engage in hands-on math and science activities or explore STEM careers; most of these programs are at colleges or universities or community organizations. But you, as a parent, must provide the continuity of learning for your child that extends beyond the walls of the school to your home.
A great foundation for academic achievement and career exploration in math and science is a partnership between parents, educators, and the community. What happens in a child’s K-12 education determines whether he or she will be ready for college. So do all you can to make sure your child has a solid foundation for post-secondary education and is academically prepared to pursue whatever career he or she desires.