Do I have a future engineer?

[bethben]

I have a 2nd grader who wants to take electronic stuff apart, is building all sorts of contraptions, and is gifted in math (event though he could take it or leave it - at the rate he's going, Calculus will be in his future at 9th grade). Another friend of ours has noticed this too, enough to the point where they would like to sponsor him for Lego robotics teams when he's old enough. He actually cried when I told him he was too young for advanced electronic learning kits (he has no experience with even basic sets). Have you ever had a kid seem to have a life direction at a young age? Also, how do I teach him about this stuff? Kits? What do I do with this kid?

Beth

[inashoe]

He will probably be ready for a Lego Robotics by now, though age wise may not be able to participate in a team.

 

I went to Radioshack and bought a variety of items. I found it much more effective than buying electronic kits - way too kid-like.

I got some diodes, resistors, transistors, buzzers, different switches, battery holders, lots of wire, etc.

You can read up about each one at Wikipedia if you don't know what they do.

You can get directions for making specific items online, a crystal radio is a great place to start.

[Guest Alte Veste Academy]

What do I do with this kid?

Beth

 

Oh, how exciting! I would do kits but I would also give him lots of good books to learn from. There is a whole line of these books.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Teaching-Physics-Toys-Hands-Investigations/dp/1883822408/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230733328&sr=1-1

 

Also, if it's not too scary...or something to do with dad, or maybe for when he's older...

 

http://www.amazon.com/Backyard-Ballistics-Cannons-Cincinnati-Dynamite/dp/1556523750/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230733739&sr=1-1

 

I would also heartily recommend this book and encourage him to keep notes about his discoveries and experiments.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Science-Notebooks-Writing-About-Inquiry/dp/0325005680/ref=pd_sim_b_32

 

Oh, and has he tried Snap Circuits?

 

I have heard story after story about how my husband was the same way as a child, assembling and reassembling electronics and basically just knowing how things worked. He's now a Maintenance Test Pilot and still loves to get his hands dirty fixing the aircraft. He also has an old 1970 car that he and my kids are going to refurbish so I'm hoping that he transmits all this knowledge and skill to the kids. The man can fix ANYTHING and is wonderfully pragmatic.

 

Good luck and have fun!

 

Kristina

[LadyAberlin]

I know my dad was like that at least starting in late elementary and early jr high. He is a very successful Electrical Engineer. From what I've seen with EE they tend to have always known that is what they were interested in and were doing things like your son was doing. My dad would sit in math class reading engineering books hid behind his math book, while correcting the teacher's math on the board LOL

[Blossom'sGirl]

except the advanced math part. He just gravitates to electronics and aviation. A nice kit that he liked at that age was the big snap circuits set. I think it helps start a basic understanding in circuitry.

 

I do think you can tell the path a child is going by that age but I wouldn't push it. I can easily see our oldest as an engineer so I will make sure he stays on top of his math and allow him a lot of creativity. I am amazed at some of the lego mindstorm creations he comes up with. We plan on getting him an NXT for his birthday. He also has some of the Fishertechnic kits.

 

I would still let him discover what he likes. Some kids end up going in a direction they may not have choosen just because of their parents influence. I know because I did.

[EKS]

I have one of those.

 

Kits are good. My son liked Snap Circuits, Capsela, Erector sets, anything with motors and wires. I don't think you necessarily need to actively teach him about engineering at this age other than the standard science stuff.

 

My son did Lego robotics for the first time this year (at age 12) and it was great for him. He would not have been able to do it at age 8 though because of ADD type issues.

[bethben]

I DEFINATELY want to keep it fun. I'll have to look at some random circuits and try out my friends snap circuit set. I want to give him a well rounded education--he is young and maybe something else will be a hit next year, but this is a kid who as a toddler was trying to take apart stuff with a screwdriver. I don't even know what all of the below even is - I guess I'll learn along with him...

I got some diodes, resistors, transistors, buzzers, different switches, battery holders, lots of wire, etc.

 

It's like talking a whole different language to me!

 

Keep them coming...this is a great start.

Beth

[inashoe]

I don't even know what all of the below even is -

 

Oh, I'm sorry. They are the components of electrical circuits. All the Snap Circuit type kits will have them, just with a lot less creativity, because they are "fixed". But he would need guidance as to what they are and what they can do. If no one in your home can offer that then it is probably best to go with a kit.

 

The problem that I have with the kits is if the kids are left to do them on their own then they just stick the pieces in, the circuit works, but they haven't learnt what the component is or what it can do. You would need someone to do the circuits with him and ask questions as to what each piece is, why is it needed, and what role does it play.

[WTMCassandra]

Oh yes, you do, and oh yes, you can often tell quite young. I sometimes tell people that my son came out of the womb with "engineer" stamped on his forehead ; ).

 

My son has enjoyed all sorts of building toys, snap circuits, small robots, put-together-engines/bridges type kits, and yes, Lego Robotics. You could buy him his own set if he's not old enough to join a team. We put together a homeschooling team pretty easily this year by posting on our town's homeschooling email list--you could do this later if you already have the robot.

 

I also am always on the lookout for engineering-type videos from the library, Library and Educational Services, etc.

 

And take a look at this website. I found it helpful. There are lots of others too if you start poking about with "kids+engineering" type of searches.

[ElizabethB]

Have you ever had a kid seem to have a life direction at a young age?

Beth

 

My husband knew he wanted to be a pilot from the time he was 7. He read Jane's Aircraft for fun as a child. (He didn't read much of anything else back then, and even now reads only non-fiction, although he's become a reader since becoming a Christian.)

 

My husband is now a C-130 pilot and very happy in his career.

[Tree House Academy]

Sounds just like my dh when he was a kid. He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering and is a Six Sigma black belt. Currently he is a reliability and safety engineering manager for a fortune 100 company. :)

 

Physics. Do lots of Physics.

[jld]

At 5 1/2, he started the Fischertechnik kits. He has really enjoyed these, even the advanced ones. Dh said that this ds would be an engineer back when ds was 2 1/2, and frequently told us he wanted to drive the machines he would see (our other kids would say they wanted to ride them).

 

Last summer I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he told me he wanted to be a car fixer or a house builder. He said he didn't want to go to college, but just take apart cars instead. Last fall he was asking me about buying houses, fixing them up, and renting them out.

 

We moved to India recently, and hired two women to cook and clean for us. I was feeling a little guilty about this, and this ds told me, "We're helping them. We're giving them work and we're paying them." He has the business mindset.

 

Dh knew from the time he himself was 4 that he wanted to work with machines, and grew up to be a mechanical engineer (although he also considered being a meteorologist or a priest, lol). Maybe it's in the genes . . .

[jld]

At 5 1/2, he started the Fischertechnik kits. He has really enjoyed these, even the advanced ones. Dh said that this ds would be an engineer back when ds was 2 1/2, and frequently told us he wanted to drive the machines he would see (our other kids would say they wanted to ride them).

 

Last summer I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, and he told me he wanted to be a car fixer or a house builder. He said he didn't want to go to college, but just take apart cars instead. Last fall he was asking me about buying houses, fixing them up, and renting them out.

 

We moved to India recently, and hired two women to cook and clean for us. I was feeling a little guilty about this, and this ds told me, "We're helping them. We're giving them work and we're paying them." He has the business mindset.

 

Dh knew from the time he himself was 4 that he wanted to work with machines, and grew up to be a mechanical engineer (although he also considered being a meteorologist or a priest, lol). Maybe it's in the genes . . .

[bethben]

Here's the next question...this engineer bent seems like a very expensive mode of education...My son would LOVE the Fischertechnik kits, but they are pricey! What are some ways I can encourage this without breaking the homeschool budget? Where is a good starting point?

Beth

[nmoira]

 

I DEFINATELY want to keep it fun. I'll have to look at some random circuits and try out my friends snap circuit set.

DD loves her Snap Circuits. You can occasionally get a good deal on Amazon; I recently picked up their biggest set, the SC-750, for $80. Since the project guides which come with the sets don't have much in the way of theory, I'd highly recommend the student books as well, available from Elenco and elsewhere (the Teacher's book isn't necessary). The student books are cumulative, so if you got one an SC-750, you'd need the SC-300, SC-500, and SC-750 student books.