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Family Science

Ramps Educator Guide How to lead parents through the four-week ramps unit

Contents Prepare Ahead of Time 2 GetreadytomeetwithparentsIntroduce Parents to Ramps 3 ThePEEPRampsapp UsingEducationalMediawithChildren TheParentStrategies:SharingSciencewithChildren TheScienceofRamps:WhatChildrenWillLearnWeek 1: Sliding Down Ramps 7 Includesinstructionsandviewingquestionsfor theParent Video: Ramps Week 1

Week 2: Sliding and Rolling 9

Week 3: Different Kinds of Ramps 10 Includesinstructionsandviewingquestionsfor theParent Video: Ramps Week 3

Week 4: Rolling Up, Down and Around 12

Just For Educators 14 MoreontheParentStrategies Problem-SolvingTips RecommendedBooksonRamps MoreScienceFun:PEEPGameApps

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Prepare Ahead of Time Before you meet with parents: 1. Download the PEEP Ramps app DownloadtheapptoyourphoneortabletfromtheAppleorAndroidappstoresandtryityourself.YoucanalsosearchtheappstoresforPeep Family Science.

Goscreen-by-screenthroughtheappsoyouunderstandhowitworks.It’simportantforyoutobefamiliarwithitaheadoftimesinceyouwillbehelpingparentsdownloadittotheirownphonesortabletsandshowingthemhowtouseit.

2. Practice modeling an activity Eachweekyouwillmodelonehands-onactivityforparents.Prepareaheadoftimeby:• collectingthematerialsyouneed• readingtheinstructionsinthisguidefor

eachactivity• practicingtheactivitybeforemeetingwith

parents.

3. Just for Educators section Inadditiontoreadingthroughthisguide,payspecialattentiontotheJust for Educatorssectionattheend,whichgoesintomoredepthabouttheparentstrategies,offersproblem-solvingtips,andprovidesalistofrecommendedbooksandonlinegamesrelatedtoramps.

4. Review the Educator videoYoumaywanttoreviewtheEducator videoyourorganizationshowedyouduringtheinitialPEEPorientation.ItmodelshowyoumighttalktoparentsaboutPEEPandbuildtheirconfidenceaboutdoingsciencetogetherwiththeirchildren.

5. Review materials for the hands-on activities Thematerialsparentswillneedforeachactivityarelistedintheapp.Reviewthemaheadoftime,soyoucananticipatewhetheranymightbedifficultforparentstoobtain.• ForWeek 1,parentwillneedanemptypapertowelroll(ortwotoiletpapersrolls).Ifyou

can,collectextrarollstohandouttoparents.Parentscanalsouseaflatpieceofcardboardoralargepicturebookifnoneareavailable.

• ForWeeks 2, 3, and 4,parentswillmakerampsusingalargepieceofcardboardandabox,block,orbookstopropuptheramp.

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Introduce Parents to RampsThe PEEP Ramps App1. Help them download the app • Helpparentsdownload the apptotheirownphonesortablets.• Explainthatoncetheyhavedownloaded the app,parentswon’t

needtousetheirdata planortheInternet.Theappcannowbeusedanywhere,indoorsandout.

2. Introduce the app Showparentshowit’sorganized.

Organization • TheRampsappoffersactivitiestodoover4 weeks.• Each weekoffers2 daysofscienceactivities(eachdaytakes

20-30minutes).Youcandotheactivitieswheneveryouwantduringtheweek.

• Each dayhas2 activities:1. watchingandtalkingaboutaPEEPvideo2. doingascienceactivitytogether

• Ittakesabout20–30 minutestodoeachday’sactivities.

Special FeaturesPointoutthespecialfeatures.•Parent videos: Inadditiontoanimatedvideosforchildren,theapp

includesParentvideos.BeforeWeek 1andWeek 3,thereareshortvideosshowingwhathappensduringthatweek.

•Parent Strategies:Asfamiliesusetheapp,aPEEPcharactersometimespopsupwithaparentstrategy—atiponhowtogetthemostoutofthescienceactivity.

Using Educational Media with ChildrenThismaybethefirsttimeyouareencouragingfamiliestousemediatohelpeducatetheirchildren.Well-designededucationalmedia(videos,onlinegames,apps,andTVshows)canhelpchildrenlearn—andiftheyareguidedbyanadult,childrencanlearnevenmore.

Why Use Media for Learning Science?Sometimeseducatorsareafraidmediawilltaketheplaceofotherlearningactivities.Mediaisnotasubstituteforthehands-onscienceexperienceschildrengetthroughplayandexplorationwithactualobjectsandmaterials.That’swhytheAmericanAcademyofPediatricsrecommendsthatparentslimitmediatoonehourorlessperdayfor3-to5-year-olds.

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Butmediacanenrichchildren’ssciencelearning.Childrenlearnaboutscienceinmanydifferentways:bywatching,listening,talking,doing,andplaying.Themorewaysscienceispresented,themorewayschildrenhavetolearn.

Mediacan:• encouragechildrentoexploresomethingthey’real-

readyinterestedin• sparkaninterestinsomethingnew• modelhowtoexploreandtalkaboutscience.(ThePEEPcharacters,forexample,

askquestions,investigate,andtestoutideas.)• showchildrenthingstheycan’texperienceinperson• engagechildren’simaginations• helpchildrendocumentandreflectontheirreal-lifeexperiencesbytakingphotosorrecord-

ingvideos• helpparentsbymodelinghowtoexploreandtalkaboutscience.Thiscanbeespeciallyhelp-

fultoparentswhoarenotyetconfidentaboutdoingsciencewiththeirchildren

Forchildrentolearnthemosttheycanfrommedia,theyneedhelpfromadultsto:• connectwhattheyarewatchingtotheirownlives• sharetheexperiencebytalkingaboutittogether

How PEEP Uses Media ThePEEPvideos,games,andappsfollowthebestpracticesforusingmediawithchildrenages3to5.Developedwithguidancefrompreschoolscienceandearlychildhoodexperts,PEEPteachesage-appropriatescienceconceptsandmodelsscienceskills.EachexperienceinthePEEPFamilyScienceappcombinesaPEEPvideowitharelatedhands-onactivityandencouragesfamiliestoexploretogether,talk,andsharetheirideas.ThePEEPappoffersparentsquestionsandpromptsthroughout,sotheycanconnectwiththeirchildrenateverystepoftheway,whetherthey’reco-viewingavideoordoinganactivitytogether.

Tips for Parents on Using Media Yourchildrenwillbeusingmediatheirwholelives.Helpthemuseitinpositiveways,rightfromthestart!• Choosemediathatiseducationalandage-appropriate.Itshouldbuildonthekindsof

thingsyourchildisreadytolearnandusesimplestorylinesthatengageyourchild’simagination.

• Limitscreentimetoonehouradayforchildrenages3to5asrecommendedbyTheAmericanAcademyofPediatrics.

• Avoidmediaduringmealtimesandbeforebed.• Sharetheexperiencewithyourchild.Childrencan’tlearnfromwatchingmediaalone—

theyneedanadulttohelpthemunderstandwhattheyareseeingandconnectittotheirdailylives.Talkingtogetheraboutwhatyouarewatchingmakesabigdifference!

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Educational Media: Online Resources For more on educational media and screen time, see:

Common Sense MediaThesitehelpsparentsmakeeducationalandage-appropriatemediachoicesfortheirchildrenandratesmovies,games,apps,TVshows,websites,books,andmusic.

Media and Young Minds, American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media, Pediatrics, 2016. Seetheirguidelinesontechnologyandchilddevelopment.

Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College (2012). Seetheirrecommendationsontheroleofmediainchildren’slives.

Sites that offer high-quality media for preschoolers include:

PEEP and the Big Wide WorldFormoreeducationalvideos,games,apps,andhands-onscienceactivitiesfeaturingPeepandhisfriends,visitthemainwebsite.AllmaterialisinEnglishandSpanish.

PBS KIDSPBSKIDSfeaturessuchtrustedshowsasSesameStreet,CuriousGeorge,DinosaurTrain,DanielTiger’sNeighborhood,Peg+Cat,Ready,Jet,Go!,andmanyothers.ThereisalsoasectioncalledPBSParentsthatoffershands-onactivities,tipsonraisingchildren,andotherparentingresources.

The Parent Strategies

Here’swhattosharewithparents.

Therearethree different parent strategiesthatwillpopupintheappasyouuseit.Whatdoallthesestrategieshaveincommon?Theyareaboutyouandyourchildlearningtogether!Asaparent,youprobablyalreadyusethesestrategieswithyourchild.Theyarealsogreatstrategiestohelpyourchildgetexcitedaboutscience.

1. Play and Explore Together Yourattentionandencouragementmakeabigdifference!

2. Ask Questions and Talk About Ideas Themoreyoutalktogether,themoreyourchildlearns.

3. Explore More! Themoreyoudotogether,themorechancesyourchildhastogrow.

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Play, Talk, and Explore More! Whatyoungchildrenneedmore than anything elsetodevelopandgrowisalovingparentcheeringthemon!Doingtheactivitiestogether, whetherit’swatchingasciencevideoortryingascienceactivitywithyou,ishowayoungchildlearnsbest.

PEEP: It takes a parent—not a scientist! Asaparent,youdon’tneedtoknowalltheanswers!It’sfinetosay,“Idon’tknow.Let’sseeifwecanfindouttogether.”Atthisage,exploring togetheriswhatscienceisallabout.Play,talk,andexploremore!

The Science of Ramps

Here’swhattosharewithparents.

What your child will learn: • Basic science ideas,including:

• Rampshelpthingsmove.• Thesteepertheramp,thefasterthingsmovedownit.• Someobjectsrollonarampwhileothersslidedownit.

• Sciencevocabularywordslikesteep,slanted,flat,roll,slide• Science skills:Makingobservationsandcomparisons,testingandproblemsolving,and

communicatingandsharingideas.• Preschool standards:AlignedwiththeNextGenerationScienceStandardsandHeadStart

EarlyLearningOutcomesFramework,PEEPFamilySciencestrengthenschildren’sliteracyandcriticalthinkingskills,anddevelopstheirinitiative,curiosity,attention,andpersever-ance—justwhatyoungchildrenneedtothriveinschool.

Week 1: Sliding Down RampsExploreslidesandrampsandhowthingsmovedownthem.

Week 2: Sliding and RollingDiscoverthatsomethingsrolldownrampsandotherthingsslide.

Week 3: Different Kinds of RampsExplorerampswithdifferentsurfaces,bothindoorsandoutdoors.

Week 4: Rolling Up, Down, and AroundMakeaballgoupanddownaramp.Thenmakearampwithturns.

Here are some of the activities parents and children will do together.

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WEEK 1: Sliding Down RampsExplore slides and ramps and how things move down them

Here’swhattosharewithparents.

1. Watch the Parent Video: Ramps Week 1You’llfindthevideoatthebeginningofWeek1.

Before you watch, say: Let’s watch a mom and her son doing this week’s activities together. It also shows the mom using the three parent strategies we’ve talked about.

After you watch, say: Let’s talk about how the mom used the strategies: • Play and Explore Together: The mom and her son played and

explored together. What did you notice about how they played?• Ask Questions and Explore Ideas: Did you see how they asked questions and explored their

ideas? I’ll bet this is something your already do with your child! Tell me more. How do you keep a conversation going?

• Explore More:At the end and when they went outside, the explored ramps in lots of differ-ent ways. What did the mom and her son do to explore more about ramps?

Encourageparentstoalsowatchthevideoontheirown—it’sagreatwaytogetcomfortableexploringscience!

2. Introduce the Week 1 activities Goscreen-by-screenthroughDay1andDay2ofWeek1andtalkabouttheactivitiestogether.

3. Model a Week 1 activity •ClickonMake a Slide for Peepintheapp.•Usethematerialsyoubroughtalongtomodeltheactivity.

(Notallparentswillhaveanemptypapertowelrolltousefortheactivity.Ifyoucan,collectextrarollstogivetoparents.)

•Tellparentsthat theydon’tneedtohavetheexactsamematerialslist-

ed.Insteadofthepapertowelroll,forexample,theycanuseaflatpieceofcardboardoralargepicturebook.TheDay2activityisplayingonaplaygroundslide.Butifthereisn’taslideintheirneighborhood,theycanplayoutsidewithotherkindsoframps:ahill,aslantingdriveway,orarampusedtoenterabuilding.

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• Gothrougheachscreenoftheappfortheactivity,readingtheinstructionsandthequestionsaloud.Orrole-play:youbethechildandhavethemomusetheapptoguideyouthroughtheactivity.

• Pointoutthatparentswillbetakingvideosoftheirchilddoingtheactivity,thewaythemomdidintheparentvideo.

• Wheneveraparentstrategyappearsonascreen,readitaloudandansweranyquestionsparentsmighthave.

• ShowparentsthattheDay1activityendswith:Keep Learning! Lookaroundthehouseforotherthingstoslidedowntheramp.

Tellparentsthatthisistheirchancetogetcreative—whatotherthingscantheyfindtoputontheirramp?Howcantheymaketheactivitylastlongerandkeeptheirchildreninterest-edandhavingfun?Themorewaystheycomeupwithtoplayandexplore,themoretheirchildrenlearn.• Makeityourown!Tellparentstheyshouldalwaysfeeltheycanmakechangestotheactivity.

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WEEK 2: Sliding and Rolling Discover that some things roll down ramps and other things slide.

Here’swhattosharewithparents.

1. First, talk about Week 1 Somequestionsyoumightask:• How did the activities go last week? Tell me about what you did together. • Did you need to change any of the activities? What did you do? • Tell me about how you used the parent strategies:

• The first one is Play and Explore Together. What did you and your child have the most fun doing together? Was it different than the way you usually do activities together? How?

• The second is Ask Questions and Talk about Ideas. Can you remember how you got your child talking about one of the activities? What did you and your child talk about? Did you have trouble getting your child to talk?

• The third strategy is Explore More! Did you try the Explore More ideas or get creative and find other ways to explore ramps indoors or outdoors? Describe what you did.

2. Introduce the Week 2

activities Goscreen-by-screenthroughDay1andDay2ofWeek2andtalkabouttheactivitiestogether.(Note:ThereisnoparentvideoforWeek2.)

3. Model a Week 2 activity • ClickontheRoll or Slide?activityin

Week2oftheapp.•Usingthematerialsyou

collected,modeltheactivityforparents.

•Theharderobjectstofindareonesthat“stayput”ratherthanrollorslide.Asponge,apieceofcheese,oratoywitharubberyflatsurfaceoftenwon’tmoveonaslantedsurface.

•Wheneveraparentstrategyappearsonascreen,readitaloudandansweranyquestionsparentsmighthave.

• Sortingtheobjectsintoseparatepiles(roll,slide,orstayput)isanimportantpartoftheactivity.Ithelpschildrennoticethatobjectsthatrollaremostlyroundandobjectsthatslideareflatorsmooth.

• EncourageparentstotrytheKeep Learning!ideasattheendoftheactivity.Talkaboutwaystoexploremorebytryingdifferentmaterialstheyfindaroundthehouseorbymakingtherampsteeperorlesssteep.

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WEEK 3: Different Kinds of RampsExplore ramps with different surfaces, both indoors and outdoors.

Here’swhattosharewithparents.

1. First, talk about Week 2 Somequestionsyoumightask:• How did the activities go last week? Tell me about what you did together.• On Day 2, you sorted objects into different piles (roll, slide, or stay put). Do you think your

child learned something from this activity? What do you think it was? • Did you run into any problems with the activities? How did you solve them? • Tell me about how you used the parent strategies:

• The first one is Play and Explore Together. What did you and your child have the most fun doing together? Tell me about it.

• The second is Ask Questions and Talk about Ideas. What did you talk about while you did the activities or watched the video? How did you try to get your child to talk about what you were doing?

• The third strategy is Explore More! Did you get creative and try rolling and sliding different things? Describe what you did.

2. Watch the Parent Video: Ramps Week 3 Together

You’llfindthevideoatthebeginningofWeek3.

Before you watch, say: Let’s watch a mom and her son doing this week’s activities together. It also shows the mom using the three parent strategies we’ve talked about.

After you watch, say:Let’s talk about how the mom used the strategies:• Play and Explore Together: Did you notice how the mom played

along but didn’t take over? How does that work when you try it with your child?

• Ask Questions and Talk About Your Ideas: How did the mom get her child to talk about the activity?

• Explore More: They did an indoor and an outdoor activity together to explore ramps on different surfaces. Do you have any other ideas about how they could have tried to explore more?

Encourageparentstoalsowatchthevideoontheirown—it’sagreatwaytogetcomfortableexploringscience!

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3. Introduce the Week 3 activitiesGoscreen-by-screenthroughDay1andDay2ofWeek3andtalkabouttheactivitiestogether.

4. Model a Week 3 activity • ClickonRamp Race!intheapp.• Usingthematerialsyoucollected,modeltheactivity

forparents.• Parentswillbemakingachart.Modelmakingthe

chartandfillingitin.• Pointoutthatyoungerchildrensometimesaren’t

interestedinthechart—that’sfine!Letthemdowhatevercapturestheirattention.Olderchildren,ontheotherhand,mayenjoyfillingoutthechartwithyou.

• Wheneveraparentstrategyappearsonascreen,readitaloudandansweranyquestionsparentsmighthave.

• EncourageparentstodotheKeep Learning!ideasatendoftheactivitytoexploremore.Therearelotsofinterestingsurfacestotryrollingballsdown—afuzzysweatshirt,apieceofcrumpledaluminumfoil,orbubblewrap.

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WEEK 4: Rolling Up, Down, and Around Make a ball go up and down a ramp. Then make a ramp with turns.

Here’swhattosharewithparents.

1. First, talk about Week 3 Somequestionsyoumightask:• How did the activities go last week? Tell me about what you did together. • When you did the Ramp Race activity, what do you think your child learned? • Did you run into any problems? What did you do? • Tell me about how you used the parent strategies:

• The first one is Play and Explore Together. Which activity did your child like the most? Tell me about how you explored together.

• The second is Ask Questions and Talk about your Ideas. Can you remember how you got your child talking about one of the activities? What were some of the things your child noticed about ramps?

• The third strategy is Explore More! Did you get creative and find other ways to play with ramps? Describe what you did.

2. Introduce Week 4Goscreen-by-screenthroughDay1andDay2ofWeek4theappandtalkaboutthevideoandtheactivities.(Note:ThereisnoparentvideoforWeek4.)3. Model a Week 4 activity •ClickontheRamps and TurnsactivityinWeek4oftheapp.•Usingthematerialsyoucollected,modeltheactivityfor

parents.ThisisthemostadvancedactivityintheRampsunit.Sometips:

• Makethenewspaperrollsthick.• Don’tmaketheramptoosteep.• Useasmall,lightball.• Donottousemarbles:theyareachokinghazard.

• Testingtherampasyoubuilditisimportant.Modelthisforparents:Eachtimeyouaddanewspaperroll,testhowaballrollsdownitbeforeaddingthenextroll.Youmayhavetochangethepositionandangleoftherollstogettheballtoturn.

• ModeltheKeep Learning!ideasattheendoftheactivity.Insteadofjustoneturn,youwillmakethreeturns!

• Thisactivitymaybehardforyoungerchildren.Tellparentstheycanstepinandhelptheirchild—buttotrynottohelptoomuch!

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Just for Educators More about the Parent StrategiesResearchshowsthatchildrenwhodoactivitieswithanadultoftenlearnmorethanchildrenwhodoanactivityontheirown.Why?• Childrenneedtotalkaboutandmakesenseoftheir

experiences.• Theyneedtofeelthatwhattheydoandthinkaboutisvaluedandinteresting.• Theyneedsomeoneaskingthemquestionsandsharingideastohelpthemthinkmore

deeplyandbuildonwhatthey’vealreadylearned.Watchingandtalkingtogethermakesabigdifference!

Thethreestrategieshelpparentsgetthemostoutofthescienceactivities.Hereismoredetailaboutthem,listingdifferentwaysparentscanusethem.

1. Play and Explore TogetherYourattentionandencouragementmakeabigdifference!

How to do it:• Noticewhatexcitesyourchild—andplayalong!• Guideyourchild’sscienceplay—butdon’ttakeover!• Putyourchildincharge—givingchildrenmorecontrolkeepstheminterestedand

havingfun.

2. Ask Questions and Talk About Your Ideas Themoreyoutalktogether,themoreyourchildlearns.

How to do it: • Taketurnslisteningandspeaking.• Talkoutloudaboutyourideassoyourchildcanlearnfromlisteningtoyou.Startby

saying“Iwonder...,”“Ithink...,”and“Whatif...?”• Askquestionstohelpyourchildthinkmoreabouttheactivity.Startaquestionsby

asking,“Whatdoyouthink...?”• Connectwhatyouaredoingtosomethingyourchildalreadyknows.• Takepicturesorvideos,ormakechartsordrawpicturesoftheactivities.Thendiscuss

them.Tolearn,childrenneedtoreflect(thinkabout)whattheydid.

3. Explore More! Childrenlearnnewthingseachtimetheyexplore.

How to do it: • Dotheactivityagain!Repetitionhelpschildrenlearn.• Addnewmaterialstoexploreinadifferentway.• Playindoorsandoutdoors.Explorethesamesciencetopicinadifferentplace.

Here’saneasywaytorememberallthreestrategies:Play, talk, and explore more!

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Problem-Solving TipsNoteveryactivitywillgowellandeveryactivitymightnotinteresteverychild.Herearesomeproblemsparentsmayrunintoandsomesuggestionsforsolvingthem.

Too hard? Too easy?• Iftheactivityistoohard,helpyourchild—buttry

nottotakeoveranddotoomuch.• Iftheactivityistooeasy,spendmoretimeontheKeep Learning!sectionattheendofeach

activity.Thatofferschildrenmorechallenges.

Really interested? Or really bored?• Ifyourchildwantstodoanactivityyou’vealreadydone,lethim/herplayagaininsteadof

doinganewactivity.Keepdoingwhatgetsyourchildexcitedandcurious.• Ifyourchildlosesinterestintheactivity,lethim/herplaywiththesamematerialsin

whateverwayhe/shewantsto.Givingchildrenmorecontrolcanhelpgettheminterested.• Feelfreetomakechangestotheactivitiessothatyourchildstaysinterested.

Not enough time? • Asaparent,youaresometimestoobusytospendmuchtimeplayingwithyourchild.But

ifyoucanhelpit,trynottorushyourchildthroughtheactivity.Yourchildneedstimetomakediscoveries.

• Trydoingtheactivityatatimeordaywhenyouarenotfeelingsopressuredtodootherthings.

• Ifyouhavetohurrythroughanactivity,haveyourchildcontinuetoplayonhis/herown.Checkbackeveryonceinawhiletoaskquestionsandcommentonwhatyourchildisdoing.

Questions too hard?• Ifaquestionistoohardforyourchildtoanswer,moveontoanother.(Butbeforemoving

on,youmighttryaskingitinadifferentway.)Atthisstage,it’smoreimportanttohavefuntogetherthantounderstandallthescienceideasinanactivity.

Just getting a yes or no answer?• Ifyourchildanswersyourquestionswithjustasingleword,keeptryingtogeta

conversationstarted.Youmightnothavesuccesstoday,buteventuallyyourchildwillbegintalkingmore.

• Followupayesornoresponsewith:Tell me more . . .• Wonderoutloud.Ifyouchildhearsyoutalkaboutwhatyou’rethinkingabout,he/shecan

learntodothesame.Youmightsay, I wonder whether I could make that ramp even steeper . . . but maybe the ball will just fly off the side if I do . . . but I think I’ll try it anyway to see what happens . . .

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• Askopen-endedquestions.Thesearequestionsthatcan’tbeansweredwithjustayesorno. It’sagreatwaytoencouragechildrentoexpressthemselvesmorefully. QuestionsbeginningwithHowandWhataregoodexamples:

• Howdidyougetthatballtorollfaster?• Whatdo you think will happen if we make the ramp steeper?

What if you don’t know the answer?• Whatifyourchildasksaquestionandyoudon’thavetheanswer?It’sfinetosay:I’m not

sure. Let’s see what we can find out together.Thentalktogether,askquestions,andexplore.Preschoolscienceisabouthelpingchildrenlearnhowtothink,listen,investigate,under-stand,andcommunicate—nottogetthe“rightanswers.”

Here’s how such a conversation might go: Child:Why did the small ball go down the slide faster than the big one?

Mom: That’s an interesting question! I’m not sure. (Shepraisesherchild’scuriosity)

Why don’t you roll both balls again and let’s see what we notice? (Sheencouragesinvestigation.)

Wow!You’reright!ThelittleballISgoingmuchfaster! (She confirms child’s observation.)

Why do you think that might be? (Shechallengeschildtothinkandinvestigate.)

I wonder if it’s their size . . . or maybe that little one is heavier than the big one? I wonder if that could make a difference? What do you think? (Shemodelshowtoquestionandinvestigatesoherchildcanlearn todothesame.)

Themomcouldn’tanswerthequestion,butshedidsomethingmuchmorevaluable:sheencouragedherchildtobecurious,toobserve,andtothinkmoredeeplyabouthowtoexperiment.

What if your child comes up with the wrong answer? • Makingmistakesandbeingwrongaboutwhysomethingisthewayitis,isallpartof

learningandgrowingup.Sometimesyou’llwanttohelpyourchildgentlyunderstandwherehis/herthinkingmayhavegonewrong.Butothertimes,there’snoneedtocorrectyourchild.Somethingyourchilddidn’tunderstandduringtheWeek1oframpsmaybecomeclearinWeek3.

• What’smostimportantforyourchild’sdevelopmentisnotgettingtheanswerrightbutlearninghowtothinkandexpressideas.

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Recommended Books on RampsBooks,bothnonfictionandfiction,areanothergreatwayforchildrentolearnaboutramps.Ifyourorganizationcansharebookswithparents,therearesomerecommendationsbelow.There’salsoaseparateParentHandoutonthewebsiteyoucanprintoutanddistribute.

A few tips for reading aloud you can share with parents: • Talkaboutthepictureonthecover.Pointtoandreadthetitleandauthor.• Askyourchildtopredictwhatmighthappeninthestory.• Readslowlysochildrencanunderstandandenjoytherhythmofthewordsandexplore

thepictures.• Getdramatic!Usedifferentvoicesandexpressionstomakethestoryfun.• Pausewhileyoureadtoaskquestionsandmakecomments.Talkaboutrampsandany-

thingthatcapturesyourchild’sinterest.Repeatortalkaboutanywordsthatmightbenewtoyourchild.

• Whenyouaredone,askquestionsaboutwhatyoureadandaskhowyourchildfeltaboutthecharactersandthestory.Thatwillhelphim/herthinkaboutandrememberitlater.

• Ifyourchildenjoyedthebook,readitagain,eithernoworlater.Childrenmakenewdiscov-erieseachtime.

Adams, Diane. Zoom!PeachtreePublishers,2005.Rollercoasterridesarefunandscary!

Ashman, Linda.Samantha on a Roll.Farrar,Straus,andGiroux,2011.Samanthatakesatripdownasteephillonrollerskates.

Cowen-Fletcher, Jane.Mama Zooms.Scholastic,1995.Mama’swheelchairzoomseverywhere.

Dahl, Michael. Roll, Slope, and Slide. PictureWindowBooks,2006.Discoverdifferentkindsoframpsweuseinoureverydaylives.

Frazee, Marla. Roller Coaster.HMHBooksforYoungReaders,2006.Traveldownbighillsandloop-de-loopsonathrillingrollercoasterride!

Norman, Kim. Ten on the Sled. Sterling,2010.Tenadventurousanimalsspeeddownaslipperysnowyslope.

Piper, Walter. The Little Engine That Could.Grosset&Dunlap,2012.Canthelittleblueenginemakeitoverthemountain?

Steig, William. Brave Irene.Farrar,StrausandGiroux,1982.Irenetravelsthrougharagingsnowstormtodeliverapackageforhermother.

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More Science Fun: PEEP Game AppsIfparentshaveroomontheirphonesforadditionalapps,encouragethemtodownloadthesefreePEEPgameapps,whicharecloselyrelatedtotheactivitiesparentsandchildrenwilldoeachweek.ThegameappscanbefoundintheappstorealongwiththePEEPFamilyScienceapps.Ifchildreneasilycompletethefirstroundofthegame,theyareofferedaharderlevelinthenextround.Thegameskeepchildrenwithintheirowncomfortlevels,nudgingthemtomorechallenginglevelsonlywhentheyareready.

Share these tips with parents: Yourchildrenwillbeusingmediatheirwholelives.Helpthemuseitathomeinpositiveways,rightfromthestart!• TheAmericanAcademyofPediatricsrecommendsthatyoulimitscreentimetoonehour

adayforchildrenages3to5.• Avoidmediaduringmealtimesandbeforebed.• Sharetheexperiencewithyourchild.Watch,play,andtalktogether.Childrencan’tlearn

fromwatchingmediaalone—theyneedanadulttohelpthemunderstandwhattheyareseeingandconnectittotheirdailylives.Talkingtogetheraboutwhatyouarewatchingmakesabigdifference!

Week 3: Quack’s Snacks UserampstoguideaberryintoQuack’smouth.peepandthebigwideworld.com/en/kids/games/html5/3/quack-snacks/

Week 4: Quack’s Apples! HelpQuackrollapplesdownahill.peepandthebigwideworld.com/en/kids/games/11/quacks-apples/

©2018WGBHEducationalFoundation.PEEPandtheBigWideWorldisatrademarkorregisteredtrademarkofWGBHEducationalFoundation.Allrightsreserved.Allthirdpartytrademarksarethepropertyoftheirrespectiveowners.Usedwithpermission.«Peep,»«Quack,»«Chirp,»«Tom»and«Nellie»wereoriginallycreatedbyKaiPindalfortheNationalFilmBoardofCanadaproductionsThePeepShow(©1962,NationalFilmBoardofCanada)andPeepandtheBigWideWorld(©1988,NationalFilmboardofCanada).PEEPandtheBigWideWorld®isproducedbyWGBHand9StoryEntertainmentinassociationwithTVOntario.MajorfundingforPEEPandtheBigWideWorldisprovidedbytheNationalScienceFoundation.ThismaterialisbaseduponworksupportedbytheNationalScienceFoundationunderGrantNo.1612643.Anyopinions,findings,andconclusionsorrecommendationsexpressedinthismaterialarethoseoftheauthor(s)anddonotnecessarilyreflecttheviewsoftheNationalScienceFoundation.