At our school wide assembly last Friday, we shared the first question entered into our Jar of Curiosity. This is a place for students to share questions they have, or things they are interested in learning more about so our whole school can think about these things. We may not always have an answer to the question, but it can be fun to explore new ideas together. In this case, our first question was “When will we start getting Pup Points this year?” This was a great opportunity for Ms. Davidheiser, our Assistant Principal to share that we are rolling out Pup Points this week. (Pup Points are a fun way we incentivize doing the right thing at Thurgood Marshall—more on that in another article!).
Curiosity is at the heart of all learning. You likely recall your child as a three-year-old, asking “Why?” incessantly. Children are naturally very curious about the world around them, particularly the natural world. Bringing children outside and allowing them time to lie in the grass and look at bugs or look up at clouds or stars will bring on a whole host of new questions. Really, this is what scientists do! In an interview on National Public Radio this week about the two scientists, Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun, who won the Nobel Prize for their discovery of microRNA, one of the scientists said that their exploration of this topic came from looking at worms and discovering some that appeared different and wondering why. Who knows where fostering creativity might take your child?
You may already know what lights your child’s curiosity spark. Maybe you have seen the joy when they try a new game or when you travel to a new place. You don’t have to go far afield to try something new. Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
Travel to a new neighborhood in Seattle. I first tried this with my children one year when the Seattle Library introduced a passport program, and children could get their passport stamped with each new library they visited. Even trying out a new park in a different part of town can expand your child’s horizons.
Wander through the non-fiction section of the library. This is a great way to explore new topics. Consider challenging your child to read a book in each of the 10 areas of the Dewey Decimal system.
Try a new fruit or vegetable or go big and introduce your child to a new cuisine they haven’t tried before. The Asian grocery store Uwajimaya can be a great place to try a food that is new, and it’s not far from TM. Let your child pick the new food to try—they’ll be so much more likely to eat it! And you might be challenging your own taste buds, too!
Learn more about a new country—find it on a map, learn some words in a new language, watch a documentary or a children’s movie from the country. Get your child excited to learn about new cultures and people.
Next time your child asks you a question, instead of providing the answer, challenge your child to think about how they might find out more information about the topic. Finding out answers for themselves will help your child become a lifelong learner.
Together, we can nurture curiosity in our children that will foster a love of lifelong learning in our children!
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