For many homeschool parents, science is just one of those subjects. Like with high school level math and Latin, many have difficulty overcoming their fear of wondering how to teach science to their children.
Homeschooling science can even seem daunting with our littlest learners since they are not yet studying from a structured science textbook, like those from Apologia for our middle and high school students in Challenge.
That’s why this year at Practicum 2022, we will be practicing and discussing the Five Core Habits of Grammar, a set of classical tools perfect for homeschooling science. Although no homework is necessary for you to attend a Practicum near you, you can read about these homeschool science tools below and get started using them today to better explore the world with your child.
What Are the Five Core Habits?
The Five Core Habits of Grammar are tools of the classical model of education, like the Five Canons of Rhetoric, that can be applied to all areas of learning. With our Classical Conversations curriculum, we introduce these tools to students in our elementary and middle school programs, Foundations and Essentials programs. Even so, they can be used by anyone of any age to better discuss and understand a subject.
Lucky for us, the Five Core Habits of Grammar conveniently spell out the acronym NAMES. In this order, they are Naming, Attending, Memorizing, Expressing, and Storytelling. Using the Five Core Habits as homeschool science tools, we can engage in wonderful conversations with our children about the natural world God has created.
Naming
The first Core Habit of Naming simply means assigning the appropriate word for something. Before we can understand a subject or idea, we must first be able to know the basic definitions related to that subject.
For example, when teaching your child astronomy, it’s important for him or her to be able to define certain terms, like planet, star, orbit, solar system, galaxy, and constellation. After all, how can they later understand the complexities of the universe without first understanding this foundational knowledge (what classical educators call the grammar of a subject)?
If you’re struggling to figure out how to teach science to your child, simply begin any scientific conversation with Naming. Start with general definitions first, then get more specific (ex. define planet first, then Mercury, Mars, Earth, Venus, and so on.) By laying this foundation, both you and your student will be able to progress onto more detailed conversations about your topic.
Attending
Attending means differentiating a word from other known ideas. It’s a simple compare-and-contrast exercise that enables your student to see what something is and what it’s not.
Let’s apply this tool to homeschooling science. If we are teaching natural science in a local park, after naming certain terms like plant, tree, trunk, leaf, bark, pine, maple, and oak, we can then practice the Core Habit of Attending.
Get your student to see how terms are organized from general to specific. For instance, what’s the difference between a plant and a tree? Well, a tree is a plant. Are all plants trees? No, of course not. Also, encourage your student to see similarities and differences in the terms they defined in Naming. How are pines, maples, and oaks similar? How are they different?
Through this simple exercise of Attending, your child will hone observation skills essential not only for learning science but for studying all subjects.
Memorizing
The third Core Habit of Memorizing is simply that – memorizing the terms defined from Naming as well as the differences and similarities between those terms understood from Attending.
Wondering how to teach science to your kindergarten-aged child effectively? Simply practice memorizing the basic terms of science on a regular basis so they will have a foundation to build upon when they later study biology, chemistry, and physics in more detail in middle school and high school.
There are many ways to help our students commit terms to memory, from songs to chants to mnemonics. If your child is in our Foundations program, use the memorization resources in your curriculum to help your student master science terms.
Expressing
For parents who are more inclined toward the humanities over science, you will love practicing the next two Core Habits of Grammar with your child, beginning with Expressing. Expressing means using the body and senses to share knowledge.
For example, when studying astronomy, your student can build a model of the solar system using painted foam balls as planets. Or, when studying nature in your backyard or at a local park, your student can bring along their Nature Sketch Journal to sketch the various plants and wildlife.
Expressing through models is one of the best ways to learn about something because we are required to carefully observe a subject first to then create a representation of it. After your child creates a model, engage in conversation about it. Why did they choose to express their subject that way? How could they have done it differently? What is accurate in their model and what is not?
Storytelling
Finally, the last of the Five Core Habits of Grammar is Storytelling. If you are practicing with a young student, you’ll find this tool to be not only helpful in better understanding a subject, but also a whole lot of fun.
Storytelling is using written or spoken words to share knowledge about a particular topic. When studying astronomy, perhaps have your student write a short science fiction story about the different planets they defined in Naming. Or, have your child tell you a story about the different types of trees at your park. We often learn best from stories. Like with Expressing, Storytelling helps students reinforce the foundational knowledge learned earlier.
Practice These Homeschool Science Tools at Practicum
While the Five Core Habits of Grammar can be used to have conversations about any subject, they are particularly useful as homeschool science tools for exploring the world together with our children. So, at Practicum 2022 we will dive deep into using the Five Core Habits to help us as homeschooling parents better teach science.
Our Practicum events are for parents at all stages in the homeschooling journey, whether Classical Conversations members or not. To register for a Practicum event near you and practice the Five Core Habits in community, click here.
Also, if you are interested in reading more about the Five Core Habits of Grammar prior to attending a Practicum event, consider reading Leigh Bortins’ book The Core.
