Feeding a child's natural curiosity
MANILA, Philippines - Most parents view science as a “good-to-know” subject, usually taking a backseat to English and mathematics. Although reading and counting are fundamental to a child’s learning ability and should rightfully be the focus of much effort, science should also be at the forefront of education. Parents hold the responsibility of turning scientific knowledge into scientastic discoveries and pique the interest of their children.
Dr. Josette Talamera Biyo, recipient of the Intel Excellence in Teaching Award, explains, “Science is transforming the world at an incredible pace, and the future will definitely be filled with leaps in science and technology that we can only imagine. But more than the practical use of scientific knowledge, science promotes a way of thinking and processing information that leads to finding the right answers.”
Dr. Biyo emphasizes that developing the child’s way of thinking is increasingly important in a world where nothing is what it seems, or at least what it used to be a couple of decades ago. In a fast-changing world where attention span and critical thinking are increasingly taking a backseat to convenience and expedience, science encourages children to think deeply, investigate thoroughly, and explore their surroundings.
“Take your typical grade-schooler and observe what he prefers to do on a daily basis,” says Dr. Biyo. “Save for the required homework and exams, mental exercise has been reduced to fumbling with different toys or watching television.”
Though the Philippines, in general, enjoys a high literacy rate at 94 percent, according to the UN, application of such a skill does not translate to proper knowledge. In a study called “Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study” (TIMMS) conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics in the US, the Filipino youth significantly lags behind other countries in terms of science and mathematics aptitude.
According to Dr. Biyo, “Children are naturally curious, always asking questions, which is why childhood is the perfect time to introduce science. However, as kids age, their interest in the whys begins to wane and they tend to accept the answer “just because.” This observation is seen in the TIMMS results where, of the 38 countries included in the study, Filipino fourth- and eighth-graders consistently stand at the bottom three in the 1993 and 2003 results.
This is where the power of science comes in: It builds a foundation of inquisitiveness that develops the scientific skills of observation, experimentation, and analysis. This form of inquisitive learning teaches children to think scientifically, and will enable them to adapt and look for solutions to everyday problems even in the absence of books and lectures.
So how do parents help their children make their own scientastic discoveries? Dr. Biyo looks to parents who have the most influence on their child’s learning abilities. However, Dr. Biyo notes, “Parents usually leave science education to the schools because they fear that their own knowledge is too limited to be of help to their children. What parents need to realize is science is more than facts, figures, and symbols — it is a process of learning.”
