Having fun with science
by KATE BALDOCK
Folding and Unfolding, Swinging Things, Hot and Cold, Rainbow Colours, Coverage all by Albert James and forming Nos. 11 to 15 in the "Starters-Science" Series. (MacDonald 40p each).
"Starters" is the title of a fair-, ly new series of books for primary schoolchildren, with a built-in language development programme, bright colourful illustrations and brief notes for parents and teachers. Some of the latest books in the "Science" sub-series are rather more "scientific" than others in that they go beyond simple exploration of experience and begin to lead the child towards a more systematic understanding of phenonema.
No 11, for example, does little more than illustrate some things which fold and unfold and offers some suggestions on things children can make.
No 14, on the other hand, begins to explore the spectrum phenomena while also daying some emphasis on the aesthetic pleasure colour brings. The subject is, of course, a particularly apt one for colour illustration.
No 12 begins by illustrating some common swinging things children are likely to know already, but goes on to what (within the format) is a fairly detailed study of the pendulum. Here, with suggestions on how to make patterns of moving pendulums, there is a nice means of fun and early scientific teaching.
No 13 is also fairly systematic in its dealings with the subject (and just to make all parents feel really old, temperatures are given only on the centigrade scale).
No 15, on the other hand, is much more of a ragbag of subjects. These are not books for the casual young reader: 12, 13 and 14 in particular require some working at if the child is to get anything from them. But they should provide ample reward for such effort.