Under The Microscope

LEARN BASIC SCIENCE and TEST BASIC SCIENCE by Jillian Harker, Ladybird, 1995, both 32pp, $6.95 and $4.95

Reviewed by Kathleen O'Reilly

I am always keen on books which interest young children in science and steer them in the direction of basic concepts for later learning. These books are not for giving to a young child to take away and work through on their own, but they could be well used by parents and teachers to explore ideas with children and do simple experiments.

The material also inspires extension in other directions: the section on Trees and Plants could lead to planting annuals together, a trip to the park or native bush, looking at leaf shapes, colours and sizes.

There are good points made throughout. I especially liked the one which stressed that children are helped by being encouraged to ask questions and express their own ideas about how things work. Both books provide a skills check list.

These books lose some utility because their British origin means they don't follow our curriculum, and some material does not pertain to New Zealand (a Kiwi 6-year-old might have difficulty identifying a badger). However, they do give good ideas for extension work and activities, and have the potential to provide a lot of fun for small groups or parents and children exploring early concepts of science.

Kathleen O'Reilly teaches primary school children.