What is the Single Most Powerful Ingredient in Learning?

Curiosity is the single most powerful ingredient in learning. Many studies show when kids are curious about something they:

• Learn it far more easily

• Remember it far longer

• Learn at a deeper level

It is not that kids become less curious as they get older; studies show they just do not express it explicitly as much as they did when they were younger. One reason is the way we are schooled. Stricter curriculums and the standardizing of tests pressure teachers to focus on getting through a protocol versus leaving time to ponder and enquire. By not fostering an environment to ask questions, children may feel worried about getting the right answer. This can hinder the very kind of wonderment important for development.

How to foster curiosity in your child

Creating an environment that encourages curiosity has to be genuine. The following suggestions are not milestones you want to achieve. Rather, try integrating these tips naturally into your own behavior and in conversations. 

Show what you don’t know… in other words, be inept!

Unsurprisingly, research shows kids explore more when adults model that type of enquiry. Although this intuitively seems obvious, many adults act to the contrary. Studies show teachers are more intent in keeping control of the situation or demonstrating their expertise during a class lesson.

Teachers and parents alike forget that an absence of knowledge, and interest in gaining new knowledge, is what models true learning. Next time you engage with your child, ask yourself: Do you want her to know you have all the answers? Or do you want her to see you know how to find an answer when you don’t know it? The latter teaches a child to enjoy the process of learning and discovery.

Create an environment of enquiry

Parents who ask questions have kids who ask questions. Ask your child questions around the dinner table, like why something works the way it does - particularly those pesky social devices attached to their hip - what they’re learning in science, or about characters on a favorite TV show. Share something you are curious about and demonstrate the joy of learning by seeking an answer for what you do not know!

Tolerate exploration at home

Constantly focusing on mastery, accomplishment and performance inevitably makes us less tolerant of wonderment. Let your child meander and follow that ‘urge to know more’. Young children are torn between listening to their biological clock telling them to explore and their parent telling them “No!” Be okay about mistakes and wee accidents in the name of exploring their boundaries.

When your child develops an interest – a fascination with trains, for instance - be patient. Nurture the interest: take her to an exhibit on trains at the museum, or watch movies on the topic. This way your child can fully indulge in the process of discovery, which is a key element in intellectual and creative development.

Key points

• Curiosity is an urge to know more

• Curiosity is essential for learning, as well as intellectual and creative development

• An urge to learn more about particular areas is called specific curiosity. A general urge for information is called diversive curiosity

• Babies who are more securely attached to their caregivers are more likely to follow their curiosity and explore their environment

• Emphasis on performance and achievement may explain why children become less overtly curious as they get older

Adapted from: Sick Kids Healthy and Happy.com

Have a great 'kid-friendly summer' of exploring and learning! Think you might benefit from some learning yourself? Check out our parenting products and enjoy some summer savings to boot. Here's our website link.

Stay well,
Beverley & Doone