Recently I took in a presentation on biomedical engineering and robotics at The Johns Hopkins University.  I stood transfixed as I learned about the seemingly limitless field – instruments for physicians and surgeons, fascinating research (including the study of one of nature’s most resilient creatures, the cockroach – yuck), and, truly, the growth field of the future.

Science isn’t only for nerds any more!  (If it ever was.)  Indeed, it’s for all of us, even for us quaint English majors!  If our kids aren’t studying science, if they’re not aware of its significant role in our lives now and in the future, if they’re not curious about the science behind those video games and tech gadgets they rely on daily, then they’re going to be left behind.  Seriously.

So why aren’t we working harder to get our kids interested at earlier ages in the sciences?  If the jobs, careers, and workplaces of the future are increasingly science-related, if the field is so rich in human, medical, economic, and personal potential, why aren’t we purposefully guiding our kids toward where the action is?

Some thoughts.

1. We need science literacy.  Life is complicated, probably more so than ever before.  We make decisions every day based on our scientific knowledge – about smoking, about what we eat and drink, about the cars we buy and drive, about the homes we live in, about the global and local environment, and about the issues we’re asked to vote on, like the space program, nuclear energy, off-shore and mountaintop wind farms, and other complicated topics.  As citizens, we owe it to ourselves and to future generations to have a reasonable understanding of these important topics.


2. Kids are hungry for exciting learning.  Yes, kids love to learn, and the more exciting, the better.  We adults in their lives – their parents, teachers, coaches, clergy, scout leaders – have a responsibility to steer them to new discoveries that capture their imaginations and ignite new interests.  Medicine.  Aeronautics.  Automobiles.  Robots.  Genetics.  Forensic crime solving.  (A confession.  I’m hooked on CSI: NY.) Video game design.  Animation.  Athletics.  (You think those outfits at the Olympics are for style only?  Think again.)  Music.  Movies.  Military.  Fashion.  Theatre.  Weather.


3. Science is for all students.  The sciences can appeal to all types of students, especially those students who don’t get our immediate attention – the bright ones who need special nurturing, the bored ones who need an extra spark, the curious ones who are always asking “Why?”, the fidgety ones who need to be touching and feeling and doing.  A science lab, with the right teacher and equipment, can be every bit as exciting as the sports field, the stage, or the concert auditorium.


4. Science builds many skills.  Besides the important math skills that come with science, don’t forget about the confidence, motivation, perseverance, critical thinking, and teamwork skills that come with the practice of science.  Each of these skills is important for increased learning and also for the jobs of the future.


5. And it’s fun.  Want some cool ideas for science experiments you can do at home, like crushing soda cans, floating bowling balls, slime-making, dancing raisins, and how to “bend” water?  Check out Science is Fun and discover lots of interesting ways to introduce and nurture an interest in science in kids.  I enjoy Bill Nye the Science Guy, too.  He always has an interesting take on science topics.

Science is part of everything we do, and it increasingly takes a prominent role in our lives.  Insist on plenty of science in your kids’ schools, the best science teachers, up-to-date facilities, and an engaging curriculum.  Let’s lead our kids to active involvement in the future and engaging careers that fulfill them and help others.

Someone asked me the other day how to get ready for a daughter’s going off to college in the fall.  Dad was sad.

Sending your child off to college really doesn't have to be an emotional roller coaster.  As a teacher of high school seniors for many years (and talking about this subject to innumerable parents), I've learned a few tips that can ease the way.  The secret -- as in so many other educational challenges -- is in preparation, state of mind, and connections.

1. Learn as much as you can about the school.  Remember when you sent your child to middle school for the first time?  Remember how you took her to the school before the beginning of the school year so she could learn where everything was?  Now it's your time to do the same.  Get to know her new campus either by an actual visit or a virtual one.  Learn about the place where your child will live.  Routines, places, classroom buildings, labs, eating spots, sports venues.  The more you know, the more you'll feel a part of her life.  Buy a tee shirt and coffee mug from the school, so you'll feel connected at home.  Follow the sports teams, the drama productions, the music concerts, the academics, and other activities that are important to your child.  These are all connections.


2. Communicate regularly.  But not too regularly.  Take your cue from your student.  Be open to communication, but generally let him initiate it.  This is a time for him to learn about independence, and he'll be experimenting with increased freedom.  He'll probably call more during his first weeks away, then he'll feel more confident.  It's okay for you to call from time to time, of course.  Have a set time for these calls -- that's best for all of you with your busy lives.  Remember, you're not losing him.  Instead, be proud for him that he's becoming independent.  Besides, he'll always need you, just in different ways.  Be there for him.  The connections continue.


3. Pay attention.  During these calls, learn the names of the kids he mentions, the professors' names, the course titles, and other information he shares with you.  (And if you have to write them down because you'll forget them otherwise, do it.  I’m not ashamed of the increasing lists I carry around with me and rely on.  There are worse predicaments for a middle-aged brain to face.)  This way, when you're talking with him next week you can mention these important names naturally and conversationally.  More connections.


4. Make it social.  Invite roommates, study buddies, friends, and classmates home for weekends or -- if practical -- for home cooked dinners or restaurant meals.  Get to know, without being obtrusive, the people your child hangs out with, studies with, plays soccer with.  Celebrate successes and milestones together.  Connections.


5. Pay attention to your own feelings.  Of course you'll feel a loss when your child leaves for college.  Help prepare yourself for the inevitable by being involved from the earliest days.  Help yourself by helping her keep her high school grades up, by being involved in the college search, by being supportive, enthusiastic, and positive.  Besides, now you'll be able to indulge your long-postponed interests -- those books you've been meaning to read, that project you've been putting off, the hobby you've ignored for eighteen years.

If you’ve been through the sending-your-child-off-to-college crisis, how’d you fare?  Share your thoughts and successes and cautions with us here by clicking on Comments below.

Today's blog about chapter books runs on just the right date.  Tomorrow is the annual NEA’s Read Across America. Families all over our great country will be spending quality time reading fun stories together, talking about what they've read, and sharing favorite memories about books.

Want to participate in a fun reading activity?  The company I work for, Sylvan Learning, created a cool microsite that kids and their parents can enjoy.  Motivate your child's reading by pledging to read tomorrow -- together as a family, individually, or both.  It's easy.  Just go here and get started. On this day last year I wrote about reading suggestions you can use at home.  Re-read it here.

Also, in celebration of National Reading Month, Random House will award one winner a library of Sylvan Learning language arts workbooks!  The workbooks and multi-media learning kits help students in grades K-5 build confidence and develop a love of learning.  To browse the workbooks that will be awarded, visit www.SylvanLearningBookstore.com. To enter the giveaway, please email your name, mailing address, email address, phone number, and choice of grade level to SylvanLearningProducts@randomhouse.com  by 5pm EST on Tuesday, March 2, 2010.  One winner will be randomly chosen and announced in an upcoming blog!  For complete details, see official rules.

Now, on to today's topic: chapter books.

A few days ago a reporter asked me about the benefits of reading “chapter books” to younger children.   Are there benefits?  If so, what are they?  What age should kids graduate from “Good Night Moon” to chapter books?  Any guidelines?  

Kids love feeling “grown up.”  They see their older siblings and parents reading books for pleasure (one hopes), and they want to do the same thing.  Some kids are ready at an earlier age than others, so use your own knowledge of your child.  If she’s able to hang in there for a long Disney movie, for example, and can follow – more or less – the complicated plot, then maybe it’s time for the nightly bedtime story to become a new routine – a chapter a night from a favorite book.

If you think the time is right, here are some reasons to “graduate” to chapter books and also some thoughts to keep in mind.

1. Routine building is critical at any age.  Reading age-appropriate, chapter books with compelling stories can help establish important routines.  A chapter a night, at bedtime, is a good incentive to brush those teeth, get ready for bed, and enjoy some "quality time" with you.


2. Stimulate higher order thinking skills.  Chapter books help children enjoy a long story, follow plot and character development, put events in proper order (we teachers call this skill "sequencing"), and try their hand at predicting what comes next, especially when a chapter ends on an exciting note.


3. Take time for discussion.  At the end of each chapter, just before the final tuck-in, prayers, and kisses, talk for a minute or two about the story so far.  What’s his favorite part?  Favorite character?  What would he do in such a situation?  What would you do?


4. Encourage new interests.  Chapter books can whet kids' appetites for new interests and discoveries.  Reading about an interesting historical figure, a favorite athlete, or trying a new type of story?  Introduce him to other historical or sports contemporaries as well as new story types like mysteries, biographies, science fiction, fantasy, or humor.


5. Learn about new authors.  Chapter books can enable children to discover different authors' and illustrators' styles.  (I’m partial to Jerdine Nolen and Kadir Nelson's collaborations, like the tall tale trilogy of Hewitt Anderson’s Great Big Life, Big Jabe, and Thunder Rose.  I read them to elementary age kids all the time.)  Soon the kids will be looking for more books from a favorite author and recognizing a favorite illustrator’s style.


6. Feel “grown up.”  Chapter books help little ones feel as if they’re reading on a higher level now, just like their older siblings and friends.  This increased confidence, in turn, helps encourages them to read more.  It’s a virtuous cycle.


7. Share your favorites.  Everyone remembers his or her first chapter book !  Talk about your first chapter book.  Tell why you remember it, why it made such an impression on you, how old you were when you read it.  Kids love to hear about our experiences – as long as we don’t overdo it.


8. Be a good role model.  Kids learn from us, and more often than not they do what we do, if not always what we say.  So, let them see you reading for information, for directions on how to do something, or – my favorite – for the pure pleasure of reading.  Make time in your family’s schedule and routines for reading.


9. Talk about what you’re reading now.  A good dinnertime conversation can center on what exciting, interesting, or funny book you’re reading right now.  When books are a favorite family conversation, you’re giving your child a lifelong gift – a healthy reading habit.


10. Be positive.  If your child isn’t ready for a chapter book yet, don’t make a big deal about it.  Go back to the favorite one-sitting books with joy and cheer.  He’ll be ready one day.  Enjoy the childhood as long as you can.