How can parents encourage scientific thinking at home? Tips by one of the leading CBSE schools in Udupi

Scientific thinking is one of the most valuable skills students can develop-not just for school, but for solving real-life challenges. As a parent, you play a huge part in this journey. The way you respond to your child’s curiosity and support their exploration can shape how they approach problems and see the world. Leading CBSE schools in Udupi understand the importance of building a love for science and inquiry from a young age. They also believe that learning starts at home-where students first begin to ask “why” and “how.” Here’s how you can encourage scientific thinking in your own home, step by step.

Encourage curiosity through questions
Every child starts off naturally curious. You’ve probably heard endless questions such as “Why is the sky blue?” or “How do birds fly?” These questions are a great starting point for scientific thinking. Instead of jumping in with an answer, try asking a question back. Help your child think it through. Say something such as, “That’s a good question-what do you think is happening?” Then explore the answer together. Use books, videos or even a simple hands-on demo. For example, to explain moon phases, grab a ball and a flashlight and act it out. Let your child see the answer unfold-literally.

Focus on understanding, not just memorising
Memorisation can help with tests, but real learning happens when your child understands the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind a concept. Let’s say they’re learning about photosynthesis. Instead of just repeating steps, ask them, “Why do plants need sunlight?” or “What would happen if there were no leaves?” Encourage them to explain the concept to you in their own words. If they’re studying gravity, have them describe it like they’re explaining it to a younger sibling. When your child talks it out, they connect more deeply with what they’re learning.

Relate science to everyday life
Science isn’t limited to textbooks-it’s all around us. You can turn everyday moments into science lessons. Cooking dinner? Talk about how heat changes food. Mixing ingredients? That’s chemistry at work. Heading out on a rainy day? Ask your child what causes rain and why clouds form. These everyday examples help them see science as something real, not abstract. When your child notices the science behind things they experience daily, they begin to think like a scientist-observing, questioning and connecting the dots.

Encourage learning from mistakes
In science, not everything works the first time-and that’s okay. This is an important lesson for your child. If their experiment doesn’t go as planned, use it as a learning moment. Say something like, “What do you think went wrong? What could we try differently next time?” If they plant seeds and some don’t sprout, talk about what might have caused it. Too much water? Not enough sunlight? Let them make adjustments and try again. Learning from failure teaches resilience, problem-solving and patience-key ingredients in scientific thinking.

Help them become good observers
Observation is a core part of science. Encourage your child to look closely at the world around them. They can track weather patterns, watch how a plant grows, or compare different types of leaves. Encourage them to keep a small science journal where they write or draw what they see. If they’re doing a simple experiment, such as testing how plants grow in different soils, they can record daily growth and draw conclusions from the results. When children learn to observe and document, they sharpen their focus and learn to back ideas with evidence.

At Podar International School, Udupi, we believe the importance of developing a scientific thinking pattern in students from an early age. This reflects in our day-to-day practice, which includes our approach to teaching lessons. We adopt a learner-centric methodology that follows an Explore-Experience-Implement model. Through this, the students not only learn a subject, but can analyse and critically think about the topic to reach an end goal.

If you want more information on our school admission in Udupi, you can contact us here:

Email Address : admissions@podar.org
Telephone No : 9513728548