Helping students get STEM smart

What’s all the buzz about STEM and why does it seem like every parent is preparing their child to be the next STEM star? Can STEM mastery really translate into real-world success?

STEM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education. Schools focus on these areas together because the skills and knowledge in each of these disciplines are highly related, and incredibly important for real life application.

According to a 2015 STEM survey, parents of students ages 13-18 believe that STEM studies will have the most impact on their children’s academic development, with math and science subjects best able to prepare students for the job market. ¹

It’s also no secret that parents often go the extra mile to help their child excel. However, many parents don’t feel like they know enough about STEM to help their child with subject-related homework. In the survey, nearly 70% of parents said they struggle to help their children with STEM schoolwork because they believe it is harder now than it was when they were in school. ¹

Helping students better understand how the world works around them, STEM school subjects are more important than ever. Here are a few tips to help create a STEM-friendly environment and help prepare your child to excel inside the classroom, and in life.

• Make STEM fun: Showcase how STEM subjects relate to real life in fun ways with activities, games and projects to help students get excited about STEM.
• Picture This: A great way for many students to learn STEM subjects is through visual learning, like reading or seeing pictures. There are large-sized sticky note pads uniquely designed to help students visualize complex problems and display solutions on a large vertical display.
• Quiz Me: Use memory games and DIY tools such as flashcards and written study guides to help with STEM subjects at home.
• Read Actively: As your child reads through notes or a textbook, encourage them to summarize information and make note of key facts on 3” x 3” lined Post-it ® Notes. Students can use the notes to create a "brain vault" of important ideas as they occur and then recall and review information more easily in the future.
• Reach Out to Peers: Find after-school help in your area to team students up with older student peers or like-minded students.

¹ The 3M Post-it STEM survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 1,000 U.S. parents with children ages 13-18, between July 6th and July 15th, 2015, using an email invitation and an online survey.