Summer science projects for Y6 to Y7 transition

Although practical projects are ideally placed to help young people develop key independent learning skills, they can also be an effective way for parents to actively engage in their child’s education. Sitting down with your child and talking through possible ideas for their project is a good place to start.

Linking their project to real-world issues and scenarios can be valuable in helping children connect the dots and understand the purpose of their learning.

For example, it may be that they want to choose something topical such as investigating how sanitation can help solve global health challenges, investigating air pollution by sampling rain or researching the local causes of pollution.

Equally, it could be as light-hearted as exploring how to make the perfect fizzy drink or investigating different bread recipes to figure out what makes bread rise. It just needs to be something that genuinely interests your child, as this will be key to keeping them engaged!

Start by getting your child to talk about what they are really interested in and then help them turn these ideas into their summer project.

Whatever project your child chooses, they will need to clearly articulate what the aim is, explain its real-world application and break down the various steps within the process.

This is the first step in your child being able to take ownership over their own learning, which will be an important skill once they enter secondary school.

Suggest they create a plan and timeline for their project, as this will not only help them monitor thei progress, but will also help them develop their organisational and time-keeping skills.

The process of conducting the project is as important as the finished product.

Learning to conduct independent research around a subject is an important part of learning and will be a vital skill as your child progresses further on their educational journey.

Equally, they should have the confidence to get creative with their project, even if this means getting it wrong sometimes.

Science is very much about learning through trial and error and being able to work through a problem is an important skill to have. Any experiment is likely to not go right at first, but by encouraging your child to persevere, you help them develop resilience and determination in finding a solution that they might not have found if they hadn’t had the confidence to work through mistakes.

Once finished, ask your child to present their project to you – this is a nice way for them to show off their achievements, discuss the process (reinforcing what they have learnt throughout the project) and for you to see how they have progressed.

Most importantly, this will help your child strengthen their communication skills: it is vital they are confident enough to present their ideas.

Going to secondary school for the first time can be challenging for children – and parents – at the best of times. However, the summer holidays offer the opportunity for young people to re-engage with their learning and prepare themselves for the next step in their educational journey in a fun and engaging way.