In recent years, you might have noticed the word STEM cropping up frequently when it comes to education, home learning and even toys!

What is STEM

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, which have many benefits in terms of a child’s education and future prospects.

By focussing on these subjects in the home, you will help raise a child that can contribute to a dynamic and innovative future. To highlight the various elements of STEM subjects, I have teamed up with a co-educational day and boarding school in London.

The four main STEM subjects are a vital aspect of your child’s education because they can provide a range of fantastic career opportunities.

There are undeniably a huge variety of key industries that depend on graduates with STEM-based backgrounds. What’s more, there are also numerous beneficial life skills to be learnt through STEM subjects, such as solving problems, working as part of a team, critical and analytical thinking and independence. 

When to begin?

As with most things, the earlier your child starts exploring STEM subjects, the better.

Try and help them understand how each of the subjects are linked and how they are crucial skills in the real world.

The majority of schools will integrate STEM subjects into their curriculum in order to help students develop a curiosity in these areas from a young age.

Can you support STEM education at home?

There are numerous entertaining and interactive activities parents and children can do at home as a way of exploring STEM subjects. 

A simple yet effective place to start is by helping your child recognise STEM learning opportunities in the world around them. For instance, you could take them into the garden or out on a walk to explore nature and teach them about how things grow.

What’s more, you could stimulate your child’s inquisitiveness by letting them carry out safe experiments. Playing games and puzzles as a family help them develop useful problem-solving skills. Even something like baking a cake can help a child to develop their numeracy skills by calculating quantities and measurements.  

If you would like more information about STEM subjects and how you can help your child to study them at home, you can find some great resources online. You can also speak to your child’s school who will be able to give you an overview of the curriculum and provide advice on how to support your child’s learning. 

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.

If you’d like to read more on education, check out our other posts here…