Does your child ask you questions that you just don't know the answers to sometimes? Curiosity is a wonderful thing, but sometimes adults are in such a hurry that they don't follow through on the discussion.
The fact is, you're not going to know the answer to every question your child asks. Even teachers in a special subject area don't have all the answers!
The important thing is that you teach your child how to find the answers. It's so much easier nowadays, when you can Google just about any topic. Young children should not be doing internet searches on their own, though, and it's certainly not the only way to do research. We want our children to learn in a variety of ways, don't we?
That's why we should never underestimate the value of a trip to the public library. Whether you make an online trip to the library catalog (where you can request books from many libraries in your area), or a real one, there are so many reliable resources right at your fingertips.
Let's say your child keeps asking you weather-related questions. How do you turn a simple conversation about precipitation into a fun science lesson? Well, hopefully you'll find Mike Artell's book, Weather Whys: Questions, Facts And Riddles About Weather: Ages 7+
, when you do your library search!
This comprehensive resource will take you way beyond your typical conversation about the weather, yet it's presented in a fun and easy-to-understand way. There are sections devoted to each of the following topics:
- Weather Affects Us
- Weather Forecasting
- Air
- Air Pressure
- Sun, Ultraviolet Light
- Temperature
- Wind
- Hurricanes
- Tornadoes
- Clouds
- Fog
- Thunder and Lightning
- Thunderstorms
- Hail, Sleet
- Rainbows
- Climate
- Snow
- Seasons
I absolutely love the graphic design, use of color, and organization of this book! The author adds much humor and interest with his cartoon-like illustrations, riddles, "stuff you can do," tongue twisters, and "fast facts." Young readers will have so much fun that they may not even realize they're learning along the way.
While parents can read it aloud to preschoolers, older elementary students will enjoy reading it on their own. Related activities and artwork can be customized depending upon the age and level of interest of the reader.
Please note that I looked at a 1995 edition (a library copy), but the one available through Amazon was printed in 2005. As always, I encourage you to find a copy at the library before buying a book, but if you do purchase one through one of my links, you should know that I will receive a nominal commission.
By the way, if your child would like to learn even more about weather, you might want to check out the web site, weatherwizkids.com. In addition, I wrote a series of posts about water, which you can find at A World of Water, Part 1.Mike Artell also wrote a very funny version of Little Red Riding Hood, which I wrote about in the post Fairy Tale Comparisons: The Culture of Little Red Riding Hood.
There are two other books of his that I have on my list to take a look at, which might be of interest to you (especially if you or your children enjoy drawing) as well:
So, if we really want to inspire a love of learning in our children, we can start by listening carefully to the questions they're asking us. Then, we can follow through by seeking out the answers together (after a little brainstorming of what the answers might be). A great place to start is with picture books! After all, a love of learning and a love of reading go hand-in-hand, don't you think?
Nonfiction Monday is being hosted by In Need of Chocolate blog this week. Have a great one!