Curiosity and Wonder—The Inborn Motivation To Learn

SAN DIEGO - Sept. 12, 2022 - PRLog -- Developing curiosity and wonder allows a child to live without limitations, creating the will and desire to learn, grow and question the world around them.

Children are curious by nature. They are explorers who learn naturally and absorb everything. Even in the womb, they are using their senses to observe this new world—starting with you.

Children bond, are comforted and made comfortable, feel love, and connect with you with every interaction.  Dr. Montessori observed infants are born with an innate desire to learn.  They process all they see, touch, hear, taste and smell with curiosity and wonder.

How Engaging Your Child Builds Their Academic, Social and Emotional Journey

In the article Curiosity and Wonder: Cue Into Children's Inborn Motivation to Learn (https://www.easternflorida.edu/community-resources/child-development-centers/parent-resource-library/documents/curiosity-and-wonder.pdf), child development expert Karen Stephens outlines 14 strategies for making the most of children's natural curiosity and wonder.  She writes, "Helping children learn to satisfy through exploration is one of the best skills you'll ever nurture. Enjoy the Process."

How true!

Children are absorbing and processing new information from every little thing about them. So, it's easy to build curiosity and wonder—outside in the backyard or at a park.

What adults may classify as commonplace—a butterfly, hummingbird or bee; leaves turning color; or the sun going down in the west as the stars enter the night sky—a  child looks upon with fascination and wonder.

"There's a distinction between curiosity and wonder," says Jordan Cotler, who studies theoretical physics at Harvard (https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2022-05-19/q-a-peek...). "Curiosity is an intellectual outlook, but wonder suggests there is something in your soul that compels you to know more about the world. That's something embodied in a real, genuine way."

As children grow, we can continue to guide them—simply by continuing our involvement, engagement and communication.

Summary

Children are wired to capture, connect and build knowledge as stairsteps towards manipulating their environment and world. Being curious creates a knowledge flow towards learning. Your enthusiastic involvement via exploration will tap into your child's motivation to see, learn, process and ultimately master how things are—today and for a lifetime.

At La Jolla Montessori School - a private school offering toddler, primary and Kindergarten programs - teachers and parents work together towards building a desire to learn in young students.  We believe fostering each child's natural curiosity and wonder today about their environment creates a natural path to learn more tomorrow and, ultimately, to establishing a habit of lifelong learning.

La Jolla Montessori School is located at 8745 La Jolla Scenic Drive North. To schedule a tour or placement upon our waitlist, please visit: www.lajollamontessorischool.com.