Local Life - Wigan - October 2019

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Making STEM Fun
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) are the fastest growing
industries in the world. Even if your child doesn’t fancy a career in STEM, they will
need to use elements of it throughout their working life.
According to The National Science Foundation, “To succeed in this new informationbased
and highly technological society, students need to develop their capabilities in
STEM to levels much beyond what was considered acceptable in the past.”
So how can you help your child to develop a real
enjoyment for STEM?
Science
There are lots of children’s science sets available
to buy, but you don’t actually need any fancy
equipment to conduct simple experiments at
home, such as:
• Asking your child to add a few drops of oil to a
glass of water. Discuss what they think will happen.
Will the oil and water mix or stay separate?
• Finding four old, dull two pence coins. Soak each
one in a different liquid (water, coke, vinegar and
lemon juice) for a few minutes to see which liquid
cleans the coin the best.
Technology
Computer programming now features in the
National Curriculum and many schools offer basic
coding clubs from Key Stage 2. Paul Lyons, IT
Director at Ebuyer.com, explains, “Even if your child
has no interest in becoming a software developer,
they will benefit from skills such as problem solving
and following instructions - which can be applied
to other areas. Many parents may not know where
to begin, but introducing educational aspects into
children’s technology use at home can have a real
impact on a child’s ability.”