Radical Respect - Curiosity

Curiosity is the desire to learn, explore, and create. Recognizing and respecting young children’s innate curiosity is a form of radical respect. Nurturing curiosity expands engagement and creativity.

One way adults can nurture curiosity is to make time for silence. Imagine this scenario. A nine-month-old child picks up a pinecone. They hold it in two hands then lift it to their mouth. An adult skilled in narration says, “Pinecone! You found a pinecone! Pinecones grow on trees. It’s bumpy and brown.” The child looks at the pinecone, drops it, and crawls away. The narrating adult provided labels to teach language skills like vocabulary and syntax. But at the same time, they interrupted the child’s curiosity.

Imagine shifting the interaction from language-oriented to curiosity-oriented. The nine-month-old picks up the pinecone, holds it in two hands, and lifts it to their mouth. An adult, skilled in wondering, sits on the ground next to the child and picks up another pinecone, holds it in two hands, and lifts it to their mouth. The child notices and taps the pinecone against their knee. The adult imitates the action. The adult sniffs the pinecone, and the child imitates the adult. Rather than acting as an authority providing information, the curiosity-oriented adult honors the child’s curiosity. They participate in it and learn from the child’s way of exploring the world.

Honoring the child’s exploration style, rather than interrupting it with expert narration, encourages curiosity. Curiosity drives engaged learning and creativity. Try moments of silent observation or engagement to let your child’s curiosity thrive.

References:

Parlakian, R. (2020). Fostering curiosity in infants and toddlers. YC Young Children, 75(5), 69-71.