From a young age, children are curious about their bodies. As they learn to talk, toddlers find joy in being able to point to, and identify, their own various parts. Teaching kids about their anatomy is a fun and easy activity that can be done in the home with very accessible materials - themselves!
Not only does this become an educational endeavor, but, in the event of an accident, a child will be able to describe where he/she has been hurt.
Pre-school children probably have a pretty good idea of what makes up their outsides. Because of repeated quizzing by parents -Where are Luke’s teeth? Where’s his nose?, etc., three year olds are well versed in their overall make up. There are songs that can help with this, too. One very popular tune for toddlers and pre-schoolers: "Head and shoulders, knees and toes...eyes, ears, mouth and nose," calls attention to the total body and to its facial components.
Lessons in joints, like elbows, ankles and wrists can also be absorbed by the pre-school set. As your child gets a little more capable with more complex vocabulary, try substituting the real anatomical names for these body parts in the song: "Cranium, humerus, patella, phalanges", etc. It’s silly, but you can all get a laugh and learn at the same time.
Inside your child, there is another world worth exploring! Children 3-5 years of age can appreciate that their brain, the part that makes them smart, sits inside their head and looks something like a cauliflower.
In their chest to the left, they will note, is found their heart which makes an interesting beating sound. Inexpensive stethoscopes, that really work, can be purchased in most finer toy stores and children love to listen to everybody’s heart with these.
Older children can appreciate that they breathe with help from two sacks, in their chest, called lungs.
Also, tap on your five year old child's knees, elbows, skull and so on, and explain that those hard things are called ‘bones’ and that they help in standing up straight. Remind them to drink lots of milk to keep these bones strong.
You get the idea. Even if your own education did not include a course in anatomy, you’ll find that you know more about it than you think! So, pass it on to your children. They’ll love learning what makes them tick!
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Dr. Elva O'Sullivan's education includes a B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry from University College Dublin, Ireland and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Clarkson University, New York. In addition to her broad teaching experience she has extensive applied industrial experience and has worked at W. R. Grace, Wyeth, American Cyanamid Company and BASF Corporation, the world's leading chemical company.
She is a certified RESULTSฎ coach and a graduate of Corporate Coach University. Her professional memberships include the American Chemical Society (ACS), the National Science Teachers Association, Coachville and the Graduate School of Coaching. She is currently the CEO of Science With Me! LLC.
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