UNS — Science for Early Childhood Team Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta held a community service program in the form of a Webinar on Science Education for Early Childhood on Monday (22/11/2021). The community service team consisted of Kistantia Elok Mumpuni, S.Pd., M.Pd., Vera Sholeha, S.Pd., M.Pd., and Endri Sintiana Murni, S.Pd., M.Pd.
The team members consisted of faculty members and students of the Biology Education Program, Early Childhood Education Program (PG PAUD), and Fine Art Education Program. The involvement of diverse education backgrounds aims to provide an appropriate education for parents in teaching science to their children.
The webinar was implemented in four series; science education for early childhood, skills in science process and preparing simple science activities at home, arts and science, and sharing of science activities at-home experiences. This program was initiated due to the inappropriate perception of science for early childhood and aims to educate parents on how to deliver the concept of science and assist children in studying at home.
“Because the perception of science is a complicated knowledge and is not appropriate for early childhood,” Vera Sholeha, the first speaker in the webinar, explained the misperception of science for early childhood.
To counter the misperception, she provided examples of science that are close to children’s daily life, such as children playing with sands and filtering the grains of sand as an application of physics, seeing a rainbow, the sound of frog, making tea, and ball pitching play. “The concept of science could be understood by children when explained using simple language,” she added.
Kristiana Elok Mumpuni, S.Pd., M.Pd., shared material on preparing simple science activities at home. She stated that science comprehension could be achieved through observation and practice on science. Parents need to consider their children’s age, the theme of science program, learning method, tools and equipment, and parents’ ability.
“Science does not have to be learned in the laboratory with advanced tools, but could be learned at home with surrounding tools and materials,” she added.
The third speaker, Endri Sintiana Murni, S.Pd., M.Pd., shared the relationship between arts and science and how to use arts to introduce science to children. She explained that children could express themselves freely, connecting what is in their thoughts into artworks, and even science reports can be provided in the form of artworks and examples.
“For example, the sound created from taps on glass that could form musical arrangement. This is a combination of physics and arts,” she said.
The last series was concluded with sharing of experiences on science activities at home with children. Humas UNS
Reporter: Zalfaa Azalia Pursita
Editor: Dwi Hastuti