Newswise — Friday’s space shuttle launch provides an opportunity to spark excitement over learning. The National Center for Family Literacy, through its Wonderopolis website, has tips to help families and teachers inject fun and learning into this historic moment.
NCFL suggests using your children’s natural curiosity about space to start wonderful discussions with them. Children are explorers at heart, so encourage them to let their imaginations run wild. What questions do they have? Take some time to find out the answers together.
“Regardless of national boundaries and cultural differences, children all over the world look up at the nighttime sky and wonder,” said Emily Kirkpatrick, vice president of the National Center for Family Literacy. “They wonder what’s out there. They wonder about the stars and planets. They wonder if there’s anyone else out there. The only thing more infinite than the universe is the imagination of a child.”
Explore Across Generations
Try to involve the whole family. Grandparents, parents and children might be surprised to learn that they all have wondered about the same things over the years. Exploring space-related questions together also presents a precious opportunity to share memories and unique perspectives with children.
Grandparents, for example, might remember the earliest rocket launches. Children will love to hear stories about what it was like to hear and see for the first time that a man walked on the Moon.
Likewise, parents might remember the changes they’ve seen take place within the space program, from the introduction of new kinds of spacecraft — like the space shuttle — to the International Space Station. They can also share the sadness that they felt when they learned of the Challenger disaster.
Today’s children will lead lives that depend upon orbiting satellites for everything from communication to television reception and more. Did their grandparents or parents foresee this? Although today’s children will witness the end of the space shuttle program, they’ll also have a front-row seat to even more spectacular explorations, such as attempts to reach Mars and beyond. Begin with Conversations
Conversations are a natural beginning for parents and children to learn together. There are no rules, Kirkpatrick said. Just talk together about what your children are curious about. Find out what interests them and explore together.
Here are some questions to help get conversation flowing:
• If you could travel to another planet, which one would you choose? Why?• What do you think life would be like on Mars?• How are today’s astronauts similar long-ago explorers, such as Columbus? How are they different?• Do you think riding the space shuttle into outer space would be scary or exciting? Or both?
More suggestions can be found on Friday’s Wonder of the Day at www.wonderopolis.org. Previous Wonders of the Day also explore space-related themes.
Wonderopolis is a place where families can gather to seek and nurture a brighter world for their children through the power of discovery, creativity, learning and imagination. It features a wide variety of Wonders of the Day you can use to explore the reaches of the universe as a family.
ABOUT NCFLThe National Center for Family Literacy, founded in 1989 and based in Louisville, Ky., is the worldwide leader in family literacy. More than 1 million families have made positive educational and economic gains as a result of NCFL’s work, which includes training more than 150,000 teachers and thousands of volunteers. For more information, visit www.famlit.org and www.wonderopolis.org.
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