Copyright 2006 Cheri Fuller, www.cherifuller.com - All rights reserved - Used by permission
Did you know the growth of your children's intelligence comes from spontaneous emotional interactions with others -- and best of all, YOU, their parent?
Did you know that curiosity makes the brain grow and is what fuels motivation for learning?
As long as kids stay curious, they tend to be motivated about problem-solving and learning all kinds of new skills. But too often we throw cold water on their curiosity either because we're too busy or preoccupied with other things to realize their myriad questions can be the very key to helping them become enthusiastic, lifelong learners.
Here are some tips to stir up your child's curiosity:
1) You don't have to have all the answers. That's good news. Just help your child think through questions and deduce possible solutions. Or if you have no idea of the answer, write his question on an index card and go by the library to get a book on the subject next time you're out for errands. Then search out the answer together. You'll be giving your child a powerful demonstration of how to conduct an inquiry and it will only cost a few pennies for the cards!
2) In your read-aloud times at home, pick topics your child is most interested in. Seeing pictures of whales and space shuttles or faraway countries stimulates thinking and imagination; books can explain mysteries and marvels of nature and open up a whole new world.
3) Provide resources for creative thought like science kits and microscopes, but remember that the backyard, garage, and kitchen are also great labs to learn in.
4) Keep a backpack handy for short expeditions. Inside, put a "critter jar" which you can make with a plastic container fitted with a mesh lid to let in air, a magnifying glass or compass, old plastic tubs with snap tops for storing treasures found on a nature walk, and a sturdy old spoon for digging.
5) Handle the myriad questions kids ask with patience and enthusiasm. Ask them curious questions like, "What would happen if ... (then make up a scenario)" or "What are all the ways you can think up that this toothpick (or Styrofoam tray) could be used?"
Give your child a sense that you're also interested in how and why things work in the world around you. Experience the wonder of sunsets and rainbows, puddles of rain, and crazy cloud formations together -- and you'll be encouraging one of the most important gifts of childhood -- curiosity!
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--Cheri Fuller is an award winning author and speaker whose messages, books, and tapes encourage women in the U.S. and overseas. Adapted from THROUGH THE LEARNING GLASS, available from her website http://www.cherifuller.com, or from online and local bookstores.
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