There has been a lot of buzz around STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), and you might be wondering what all the excitement is about. Technology and engineering are becoming increasingly vital facets of our everyday lives. So, should you enroll your child in a STEM class in Singapore? How will your child benefit from STEM education?
Well, as it turns out, a well-designed STEM programme can prepare your child for success. A good STEM programme goes beyond imparting knowledge about science, technology, engineering, and math. It develops essential 21st-century skills including critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. Read on to find out why this increasingly popular approach to education in Singapore will positively impact your child’s learning and development.
Benefit #1: Fosters ingenuity and creativity in children
Entrepreneurs regularly emphasize the need to think outside the box, especially when developing new and innovative solutions. And creative thinking is at the heart of STEM education. Students are frequently encouraged to use their creativity to invent and solve real-world issues that they identify.
Benefit #2: Improves children’s collaboration skills
In the workplace, we are required to collaborate in teams to accomplish different tasks successfully. Working well with others requires effective listening and communication skills. Therefore, it is vital for children to develop these skills at a young age to better prepare them for working life.
Group discussions and projects are commonplace in STEM courses. Collaboration and teamwork are frequently prioritized in the curriculum so that students experience and learn the importance of working together.
Benefit #3: Improves children’s resilience
Learning from failure is often the key to one’s success. STEM education enables children to understand that it is okay to fail multiple times before they achieve their goals. Not every idea they develop will succeed on their first go. The important thing is to acknowledge their failure and improve upon the idea.
Students test and refine their prototype several times before it works. Through this reiterative process, students learn to take failure in their stride and recognize that it is just another step on the road to success.
Benefit #4: Enhances children’s critical thinking
Critical thinking is the ability to think, analyze, and evaluate an idea or issue, and form an informed opinion. This practice is greatly emphasized in STEM education.
Our students are encouraged to engage with the world around them and closely examine the issues they observe, rather than rely on rote learning. They then move on to conduct research about the problems and understand them before brainstorming solutions to those problems.
Benefit #5: Helps children make real-world connections to the lessons taught in class
A common question that many parents have undoubtedly heard from their children is, “Why do I need to learn this?”. That is certainly a fair question! STEM enables students to apply what they learn to real-world situations.
For example, a student learning about the properties of different materials in their regular science classes may not comprehend the importance of what they are learning. However, by applying their knowledge of materials to designing solutions and inventions for real-world problems, the connection becomes more obvious.
When a child is able to better understand the real-world applications of what they learn, they are more likely to value their education. This fosters a love for learning that will be invaluable throughout their life.
The world is ever-evolving, and everyone needs to keep pace with it. By introducing STEM to your child as early as possible, you are empowering them to thrive in a volatile and uncertain future – both academically and professionally.
At IDE Academy, we believe in empowering the youths of today to be future-ready. Our STEM classes for kids emphasize the application of knowledge to solve real-world problems. Interested in enrolling your child in our programme? Contact us today to enquire about our class availability.
