You can enhance the learning by engaging children in conversation about Sid the Science Kid. These questions can help you get started:
- What are they doing? Talking about the action on screen gives children a chance to practice describing things and you a change to assess their comprehension.
- What is your answer to Sid’s Survey question? This question transforms viewing into participation.
- What is the Big Question of the day? Did you ever wonder about that question? Asking children about their ideas lets them know that they (and their ideas) are important. As children grow, you can also ask, “What do you wonder about?”
- How is Sid’s day the same or different from your day? This question provides practice comparing and contrasting. For younger children, guide comparisons by asking about specific things, “Where does Sid eat breakfast and who is at the table? Where do you eat breakfast and who else eats with you?” Older children can handle more open-ended questions: “How is Sid’s breakfast time the same or different from your breakfast time?”
Comparison questions also help children make connections between their own lives and the program. This is important because we learn more when we can link new information to things we already know. If needed, remind children of similar experiences they’ve had.
Finally, comparison questions can give you an opportunity to share your own experiences, just like Sid’s Grandma does in the show. Let children know how the things in the program are similar to or different from the things that you have experienced.
5. What did Sid do today?
Recounting what happened to Sid builds memory skills. Listen to children’s re-telling to find out what they have learned or misunderstood, and what excited them most (so you can follow-up). Because each episode follows Sid over the course of a single day, from morning until bedtime, the program also provides beginners with a change to practice sequencing (telling a story in order).
Follow-up Activities
Add value to the viewing experience consider these options:
- Try the activity that is described in the program.
- Invent your own related activity.
- Read a related book aloud.
- Play the games on the PBS KIDS web site.
- Create your own question box (like the one in Sid’s kitchen). Add questions when they come up and set times to open the box and find answers to the questions inside.
