How to Study Science (IPA) So It Is Easier to Understand

Why the Way Children Study Science Needs Attention Early

The root of the problem when a child struggles with science

Many children approach science in a way that makes it feel heavy, by memorising lists of terms without understanding what actually happens behind them. The PISA 2022 results show that most Indonesian students stop at understanding basic facts and struggle to apply them to new situations. The same pattern appears in class: a child memorises the definition of photosynthesis yet feels stuck when asked why a plant wilts in a dark place. Junior high adds to the challenge because science becomes Integrated Science, which folds physics, chemistry, and biology into a single subject. The child has to move from naming objects to understanding force calculations, chemical reactions, and body systems all at once. An effective way to study science addresses both issues by prioritising how things work and revealing the common thread between branches. When a child sees that energy, matter, and living things are connected, material that once looked scattered begins to form one complete picture.

Six Steps to Study Science Effectively

Follow the steps below so studying science feels orderly and enjoyable. Each step builds on the one before it, from understanding a concept to testing mastery through reasoning questions.

1. 1

   Start with a question about everyday life

   Begin every science topic with a question about an everyday event, then look for the answer. Before reading the chapter on changes of state, ask the child why ice in a glass melts and why wet clothes dry on a line. A question prompts the child's brain to look for patterns and explanations, so when the formal definition appears, there is already a mental hook to attach it to. This turns studying science from memorising into solving a puzzle. A child who is used to asking questions is also better prepared for reasoning questions that call for analysis and thinking skills.

   Tips

   • Keep one interesting question at the start of each study session to spark curiosity
   • Connect the question to objects around the house so the child feels close to the material
2. 2

   Understand how a concept works before memorising terms

   Science terms such as photosynthesis, heat, or compound become easy to remember once a child understands the mechanism behind them. Instead of asking the child to memorise a definition, invite them to re-explain the concept in their own words, as if teaching a younger sibling. If a child can explain that plants make their own food from light, water, and air, then the word photosynthesis is simply a label that sticks on its own. This way of studying science builds durable understanding, because the child stores the logic of the process in their head. Ask the child to draw a simple diagram to show the flow of a process, for example how food is digested in the body.

   Tips

   • Use the re-explain technique in the child's own words to test understanding
   • Replace long memorised sentences with diagrams or simple flow drawings

   Memorising terms without understanding the concept makes a child forget quickly and mix up physical and chemical changes. Make sure understanding of how things work forms first.
3. 3

   Connect physics, chemistry, and biology as one story

   The strength of Integrated Science lies in how its three branches link together. Help the child see this common thread so the material avoids feeling fragmented. The energy studied in physics also works inside the living bodies discussed in biology, and is obtained from the reactions of matter studied in chemistry. When discussing respiration, show that it involves gas exchange (chemistry), muscle work and air pressure (physics), and the lungs as an organ (biology) at the same time. Build a concept map that links topics across the three branches so the child stores science as a connected network of knowledge. This integrated understanding becomes an important foundation when science splits into Physics, Chemistry, and Biology in senior high.

   Tips

   • Build one large concept map that links topics across the branches of science
   • Pick one everyday event, then trace its physics, chemistry, and biology sides
4. 4

   Prove concepts through simple experiments

   Science is born from observing the natural world, so a child who tries things firsthand remembers them far longer than one who only reads. Provide safe home experiments using kitchen ingredients: dissolve salt to watch a change, freeze water to observe how ice expands, or plant a mung bean on damp cotton to follow germination. For concepts that are hard to see directly, such as magnetic force or electric current, use demonstration videos and online simulations. Ask the child to write down what they observe and conclude, much like a simple lab report. This habit grows the scientific thinking skills that stay useful into the next level of school.

   Tips

   • Record observations in an experiment notebook so the child gets used to writing reports
   • Use online simulations for abstract concepts that are hard to do at home

   Always supervise the child during experiments and avoid dangerous chemicals or open flame without supervision. Safety matters more than the result of the experiment.
5. 5

   Study regularly in small daily portions

   Science builds up quickly because each new topic often rests on the previous one. Studying a little every day is far more effective than cramming the night before a test. A short session of twenty to thirty minutes focused on a single concept helps the child absorb material without fatigue. Use spaced review: revisit a topic two days after first learning it, then again a week later, so memory strengthens. Insert breaks and a variety of activities, for example alternating between reading, drawing diagrams, and working one or two problems, so studying science stays light and engaging.

   Tips

   • Set a short, consistent science study schedule, which works better than occasional long sessions
   • Review older material at regular intervals so concepts do not fade away
6. 6

   Practise reasoning questions and check understanding

   Modern science questions, including the Minimum Competency Assessment, test thinking skills and data analysis more than recall. Train the child with questions that ask them to interpret a table, a graph, or experiment results, then draw a conclusion. After answering, look beyond right or wrong. Discuss why an answer is correct and where the other options go astray, because that is where the deepest understanding forms. For a child aiming for the National Science Competition, add enrichment questions that demand layered reasoning. Checking understanding at regular intervals reveals which branch of science is already strong and which still needs deepening.

   Tips

   • Choose questions that demand data analysis and reasoning so the child gets used to thinking
   • Discuss every wrong answer thoroughly so a misconception does not carry into the next topic

Comparing How to Study Each Branch of Science

A child is usually stronger in one branch and weaker in another. Map the weak spot first, then adjust the study approach for the branch that is still difficult.

Adjust the Science Study Approach to the Child's Level

Checklist of Healthy Science Study Habits

Frequently Asked Questions