STEM - how early is too early?

[Symphonic]

What do people think about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). When should a child begin learning about this stuff? Do programs like Common Core ACTUALLY help, or are things like it causing children to abandon their hopes of becoming what they wanted to be?

Do you believe there is a method to teaching children these important types of education?

I kind of get the sense that in order for kids to grow up that DESIRE a future job in one of those fields, then they need to be INSPIRED early on, and not be taught to dread it, or be told "sorry, math is just hard, some people just can't do it.".

My sister-in-law (she's 16) was struggling in her math class, and when my wife and I heard her tell us what her teacher said, we were appalled. She literally told her that math is just too hard for her and she just won't be able to understand it. REALLY?

My wife was able to tutor her for a little while, and her next test she aced. I am thinking that teachers either don't care or are too lazy to find ways to help kids learn, rather than fear these subjects.

[Zhangfei]

It's never too early to teach anything if you know how to present it.

And I strongly doubt a teacher said that.

[Masark]

The teaching of the fundamentals of science should be started at the beginning of education, if not earlier.

[Orange Joe]

What do people think about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). When should a child begin learning about this stuff? Do programs like Common Core ACTUALLY help, or are things like it causing children to abandon their hopes of becoming what they wanted to be?

Do you believe there is a method to teaching children these important types of education?

I kind of get the sense that in order for kids to grow up that DESIRE a future job in one of those fields, then they need to be INSPIRED early on, and not be taught to dread it, or be told "sorry, math is just hard, some people just can't do it.".

My sister-in-law (she's 16) was struggling in her math class, and when my wife and I heard her tell us what her teacher said, we were appalled. She literally told her that math is just too hard for her and she just won't be able to understand it. REALLY?

My wife was able to tutor her for a little while, and her next test she aced. I am thinking that teachers either don't care or are too lazy to find ways to help kids learn, rather than fear these subjects.

No offense, but seeing as the teacher is the one that sees her struggle with it everyday. I would take her word over most others (Not saying a teacher is always right)

While it's nice to say you can do anything as long as you try hard enough. In the real world this doesn't always work out.

[Symphonic]

It's never too early to teach anything if you know how to present it.

And I strongly doubt a teacher said that.

I would hope her teacher didn't say that, but that's what my sister-in-law said. Just that it's a hard subject and some people are bad at it, essentially. Anyway, that's beside the point. I am just curious when people start teaching their children these subjects, or if they rely on teachers, and what the most appropriate way to teach them is.

[Zhangfei]

I would hope her teacher didn't say that, but that's what my sister-in-law said. Just that it's a hard subject and some people are bad at it, essentially. Anyway, that's beside the point. I am just curious when people start teaching their children these subjects, or if they rely on teachers, and what the most appropriate way to teach them is.

Like any subject it should be a combination of teacher, student's own work, and parents.

but in encouraging them to always ask questions about how and why as they observe the world around them and to foster their curiosity.

That is a teaching method in and of itself.

[Symphonic]

I don't know a ton about Common Core, but my understanding is that it's actually kind of awful, at least in regards to math.

I can say that my mother is a chemist and she used to volunteer at my elementary school, coming in once a week to teach us really basic chemistry stuff and do an experiment of some sort that would interest children. I don't really think it's ever too early to be taught about science at least. I think the best way to "teach" children isn't directly found in any teaching strategy, but in encouraging them to always ask questions about how and why as they observe the world around them and to foster their curiosity.

I like this idea. I do think that would be a really awesome thing to help kids want to learn about the subjects. Seeing it in action as a fun and exciting thing could inspire them to learn more. They could know it might be difficult, but that they can do it if they put their mind to it.

[Zhangfei]

I like this idea. I do think that would be a really awesome thing to help kids want to learn about the subjects. Seeing it in action as a fun and exciting thing could inspire them to learn more. They could know it might be difficult, but that they can do it if they put their mind to it.

The subjects aren't more difficult, it's just scientific and mathematical literacy among parents is low and there's an on-running myth of how difficult they actually are, and how little kids are pushed.

It is, but I was really trying to get at children don't need to be encouraged so much as they need to not be discouraged.

Bang on. Too much rides on test results so there's a fear of being wrong mixed with a lot of learned helplessness. By high school, many kids approach education with dread.

[Pull My Finger]

Kids should have superior DNA injected in their skulls in their embryonical state, right through the mother's womb, so they can start being functioning workhorse achievers they very moment they're born. Life ain't all fun and games! It's a tough economy out there!

[Puupi]

Now that I think back my school days, I see what the problems with our science education were.

We were taught maths, physics, chemistry, biology... all that jazz. But what they really didn't say was that WHY should/must we study those, and WHY you MUST understand these things. They didn't emphasize it enough that you really need to understand all this shit if you ever want to be an engineer or scientist. And we weren't encouraged to pursue those fields in my school. I didn't think of myself as a science guy back in school - I was interested in physics, but not that much else during high school. I was more into business, history, philosophy and geography. I studied business for a couple of years in the university and I hated it. Now I'm a natural science guy and I regret I didn't pay much attention to science in high school.

[Zhangfei]

Now that I think back my school days, I see what the problems with our science education were.

We were taught maths, physics, chemistry, biology... all that jazz. But what they really didn't say was that WHY should/must we study those, and WHY you MUST understand these things. They didn't emphasize it enough that you really need to understand all this shit if you ever want to be an engineer or scientist. And we weren't encouraged to pursue those fields in my school. I didn't think of myself as a science guy back in school - I was interested in physics, but not that much else during high school. I was more into business, history, philosophy and geography. I studied business for a couple of years in the university and I hated it. Now I'm a natural science guy and I regret I didn't pay much attention to science in high school.

Nobody bothers teaching about the questions behind the questions because it verges into philosophy - but it is the thing that, like you, inspires me the most to learn anything. If you trust students to tell them why it is important and use real world examples, they will trust you back and often "click" to why it is important.

[Deleted]

No offense, but seeing as the teacher is the one that sees her struggle with it everyday. I would take her word over most others (Not saying a teacher is always right)

While it's nice to say you can do anything as long as you try hard enough. In the real world this doesn't always work out.

There's a lot of things one can't do, learning math is not one of those things. Math is not something only certain people understand, it's a skill you can train, and that's why what the teacher said is highly inappropiate.

[Akraen]

It's never too early to teach anything if you know how to present it.

And I strongly doubt a teacher said that.

You don't know much about American education, heh heh.

[Zhangfei]

You don't know much about American education, heh heh.

Not to the kid's face, at least

[Deleted]

Echoing what people are saying, it's never too early to start.

Be it mechanical based toys, buildable trucks, lego, ect

Or reading through books and on basic material and using real life items to teach the child basic concepts, such as subtraction with smarties!

[Deleted]

Now that I think back my school days, I see what the problems with our science education were.

We were taught maths, physics, chemistry, biology... all that jazz. But what they really didn't say was that WHY should/must we study those, and WHY you MUST understand these things. They didn't emphasize it enough that you really need to understand all this shit if you ever want to be an engineer or scientist. And we weren't encouraged to pursue those fields in my school. I didn't think of myself as a science guy back in school - I was interested in physics, but not that much else during high school. I was more into business, history, philosophy and geography. I studied business for a couple of years in the university and I hated it. Now I'm a natural science guy and I regret I didn't pay much attention to science in high school.

Agreed, math is fun once you know how to apply it, but teacher's for whatever reason seem to find that part of math unimportant... it's the 21st century yet still we have boring and uninspiring textbooks dominating the classroom.

[Deleted]

schools in the UK start teaching the basics as soon as possible, from like the age of 5.

[Symphonic]

schools in the UK start teaching the basics as soon as possible, from like the age of 5.

But, how do they teach it? I agree teaching early on is ideal, but I don't want them causing kids to fear these subjects, as commonly seems to happen.

[Deleted]

But, how do they teach it? I agree teaching early on is ideal, but I don't want them causing kids to fear these subjects, as commonly seems to happen.

Vocal repetition of times tables as a group. That's about as much as I can remember.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

Depends on the child. Every child is unique in how they learn and...yadda yadda.