STEM Stories for you and your child
It’s no secret that reading is good for you.
Research has shown that there are a number of benefits to reading to your child, including teaching them language skills, increasing vocabulary and improving attention span.
When children are read to, they are opening up a whole new world of possibilities. They are learning about new characters, plots and settings, and their imaginations are allowed to run wild. This is an important part of child development, as it allows them to explore different aspects of life without having to leave the safety of their home.
Reading also helps children develop their language skills. By hearing complex sentences and stories with rich vocabulary, they are absorbing words at an accelerated rate. This will help them in school when they are required to read and write at a higher level.
It can also be a bonding experience for both parent and child, as you cuddle up together and explore the wonderful world of reading.
STEM Storytime
The team at Primary + STEM have created a beautiful series of stories that parents and children can enjoy together.
Each story features a woman who turned their childhood curiosities into STEM careers.
You can find all the stories under the ‘STEM Storytime’ tab in the menu bar of the Primary + STEM website.
Here are some examples:
Helen Maynard-Casely – From perfume to planets
Follow Helen as she begins her STEM journey experimenting with turning petals into perfume and later falling in love with, and decided to go to, space!
Helen is dyslexic and found her strength in numbers rather than letters. She went on to study physics and later a Planetary Science course.
Today, Dr Helen Maynard-Casely is an instrument scientist for the WOMBAT high-intensity powder diffractometer instrument. She assists and collaborates with visiting scientists, works with the sample environment team in commissioning new equipment for WOMBAT and is co-responsible for improving and expanding the capabilities of the instrument.
Click here to read Helen’s story
Ropa Moyo – Making dreams happen
When little Ropa Moyo was 4 years old in kindergarten in Zimbabwe, her class went on a field trip to a wildlife orphanage. There were two rhinos there. Ropa was a tiny child – her mum had to make her uniforms because they didn’t make uniforms that small – and when she looked up at the majestic rhinos, they looked so big.
Ropa had never seen anything like them before. She was speechless. In her silence, curiosity grew!
Ropa’s favourite subject in primary school was biology.
Today, Ropa is working in Western Australia with indigenous rangers who are teaching her different ways of conservation.
Dr Moyo was awarded her Bachelor of Science Hons. in Marine Biology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. She graduated with a Master of Science in Zoology from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. She then worked as an ecologist for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority before moving to Australia to complete a PhD in Geography and Planning with a focus on wildlife conservation and social development.
Click here to read Ropa’s story
Suzie Reichman – Fun with bugs!
When Suzie Reichman was a little girl, she loved bugs. One day at school holiday program, the kids got to meet a bug expert who taught them how to make their own ant farms.
When she was 11, Suzie’s interest moved from bugs to growing things in the garden. Her mum and dad gave her a space in the backyard to experiment.
When it was time to go to university, Suzie knew she wanted to study science, and settled on environmental science.
Today, Suzie is an Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne and the Director of the Centre for Anthropogenic Pollution Impact and Management (CAPIM).
Click here to read Suzie’s story.
There are lots more stories on the Primary + STEM website to explore with your children.
If you’ve got a story to share, we’d love to hear it! Send us an email at primaryandstem@gmail.com and we’ll be in contact soon.
Image credit
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk from Pexels