Science Fair: The irresistible urge to help

2013-07-29T09:55:00.002-07:00

Just how much of your child’s Science Fair project should you do for your kids? I saw many projects that were clearly more adult than child as I viewed other kids’ presentations in the 1st grade Science Fair of my six-year-old daughter today. One tyke’s work discussed polymers and molecules with all the dexterity of a university sophomore majoring in chemistry. Another’s artistry had a touch of draughtsman about it. At the other end of the scale, one lad’s work was nothing short of scribble. Kudos to the youngster for having done the whole thing himself, but many parents were simply passing it by.

The school recommended parents help their children conduct research on the Internet and at the library, and provide input for the general overall planning. Good advice, but it’s easy to get carried away and have your child convey more in his or her project than is appropriate for their grade level.

I waited until the weekend before presentation week before I helped my six- and nine-year-old daughters choose their respective projects. That mistake led to all sorts of trouble.

That invited pushback from them, since they had to cram everything into a short period of time. It also limited project choice to experiments that can be completed in a day or so – rather than a week.

Pop Psychology

Science Fair: The irresistible urge to help