Curious children. How to develop your child's curiosity and desire to learn

13.04.2022

What pushes a child to explore the world? What makes him seek and explore? Young children have an innate sense of curiosity about themselves and the world around them, which in turn helps them understand themselves. Children learn to observe the world around them, identify objects and people, distinguish between sounds, images, tastes, smells and tactile sensations. It is curiosity that determines the development of learning abilities, which will be very useful for the child in the future.

Parents often experience a feeling of irritation when answering the numerous and seemingly endless questions of their children, because it is not always easy to come up with a decent and understandable answer for the baby. But one must understand that for a child, everything around is new, and therefore exciting. This curiosity of children makes them look with reverence at any object or event. So, children often notice things that adults pass by indifferently, or they are able to admire those things that do not cause any emotions in adults.

At the age of eight months, the child's brain begins to actively ask questions. Why now? The child is already strong enough and has mastered his body, he is already able to move in space: get up, roll over, crawl, and some babies are already starting to walk. He can already consciously pick up various objects, his attention is attracted by a variety of shapes, colors, textures. The development of physical activity stimulates the development of curiosity in children, and since they are naturally curious and attracted to the world around them, they are taken to explore it in the first place. This happens mainly during the game.

Indeed, the latest research from neurophysiologists and early childhood psychologists encourages parents to instill a sense of curiosity in their children.

How can you develop your child's curiosity?

Games as well as exercise recognized as perhaps the best way to instill curiosity in children. Usually children are very attached to their toys and things, so it is a great advice for parents to come up with and organize various interesting activities, games that will help your child satisfy his curiosity. Toys and games, plus your interest and attention to your child, are a great tool for developing a child's brain, from infancy to older. At each age, the requirements for games and toys will be completely different, but the principle is unchanged: the game should set a specific task for the child, which he is able to solve on his own or with a little help from his parents.

So, for a one-year-old child, an example of educational toys would be various pyramids, sets of cubes of different colors, simple construction sets with large elements.

Older children need more difficult tasks - mosaics, puzzles, Lego-type constructors, thematic sets that will help the child get to know various animals, birds, learn about professions and various objects that surround him in everyday life.

Starting from the age of three, computer educational games also become relevant. Using this tool correctly, parents can achieve great success in the development of their child. Developing online games will help your child remember the names of colors and basic geometric shapes much faster, learn numbers, letters and the basics of counting, and are also very effective in learning foreign languages.

When organizing games for a child (no matter - desktop, sports or computer games), do not be afraid to help your baby - everything that he learns to do with you, after some time he will be able to use it on his own. But on the other hand, you should not rush to do everything for the baby - you should give him time so that he tries to solve the problem on his own.

Parents should encourage children to explore the world around them. Knowledge of the external world paves the way for introspection, which in turn inspires curiosity even more.

Children should be encouraged to ask questions. As we all know, the right question is the first step on the path to knowledge.

Children should be encouraged to look for answers to their questions. This will give them more confidence, as well as improve their understanding, will contribute to the development of logical and abstract thinking.

Parents should teach their children to be good observers.. Observation is the perfect complement to an inquisitive mind. Parents should also help develop the concentration of the child's attention. Concentration is the ability to focus on a specific task or subject. It is concentration that makes it possible to look “at the root”, to see internal and external relationships, to find analogies. A higher level of attention leads to an increased degree of curiosity.

Why is it good to be interested?

Curiosity expands a child's mind. A wider mind contributes to the holistic development of the child's personality.
A curious child is always actively looking for answers. This curiosity pushes him to unravel the mysteries of everyday life.
Curiosity increases the ability of perception, if the child is interested, he is able to perceive new, even complex concepts easily. Thus, curiosity enhances a child's learning potential.
Curiosity plays a key role in the spiritual and intellectual development of the child, it is the main key to learning. Curiosity should never be suppressed or it can have a very negative effect on the early development of the child.

Thus, the main task of parents is to encourage the curiosity of their children and watch them grow up and become well-rounded and whole individuals! Good luck to you!

Remember the wonderful poem by Samuil Yakovlevich Marshak:

He plagued adults with the question "Why?"
He was nicknamed "The Little Philosopher".
But as soon as he grew up, they began to
Present answers without questions.
And since then he is no one else
Doesn't ask "why" questions.

Curiosity in children is the norm, even one of the signs of giftedness, so it’s very good when a child asks questions, and anxious when he doesn’t. In this case, you need to seriously understand the reasons.

All children's questions must be answered in a scientifically accurate and accessible way, no matter how busy you are. Moreover, it is necessary to praise for a good question, for the desire to find out. But it is even better if you, with understanding regarding the ignorance of the child, encourage him to independently find answers to questions in dictionaries, reference books, books.

In the house, in the classroom, in the group there should be a lot of reference literature on all types of knowledge: Alfred Brehm's "Life of Animals", Jean Fabre's "Life of Insects", "Children's Encyclopedia", books of records and miracles "Divo" by Valentina Ponomareva, "Pochemuchka" Alexander Dietrich, books by Jacques Yves Cousteau, Yaroslav Malin, Chris Bonington spelling dictionary, "Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language" by Sergei Ivanovich Ozhegov, Big Encyclopedic Dictionary edited by Prokhorov, etc.

Each question of a child is a great opportunity to teach him to find the answer himself, to use dictionaries and books, to help him fall in love with the process of independently acquiring knowledge and doing small research work.

If you patiently do not answer all the questions of children, a situation similar to that described by V. Veresaev in "Stories about Children" may happen.

The boy Igor plagued everyone with the question “Why?”. A familiar psychology professor (!) advised his parents: “When you get tired, answer him“ Because it’s perpendicular, ”you will see, he will soon wean.”
The parents did just that. After a short time, an unexpected reaction came. Igor began to answer all the difficult questions for himself: "Because it's a perpendicular."
Why didn't you wear galoshes?
Because it's perpendicular.
- Why are you rude?
Because it's perpendicular.

This is how “perpendicular” relationships are laid, perhaps for life. Let's note one more problem of our children. At school, they get answers to questions they didn't ask. And the kids stop asking questions. They know that they will be told something, often something that they are not interested in or do not understand, why do they need to know this?

Ideally, when the child asks questions himself, he wants to know something.

Here is a parable about the ability to ask questions:

They say that the monks of one monastery sent a petition to their diocese with the question:
- Can I smoke while praying?
The monks were punished for their insolence.
The monks of another monastery sent a petition with a different wording of the question:
- Can monks pray while smoking?
They were told, "Yes, they can."

How to teach children to ask questions?

So that children are not afraid to ask questions, it is necessary to convince them that it is not shameful not to know something: it is shameful not to find out if you can find out. It is necessary to convince children that asking questions is useful: you will learn more from the answers.

Do not ask a question when you do not understand, this is not a shame, but cowardice. Children should be encouraged to ask questions: “Well done, you asked a good question, which means you are following the train of thought, thinking.” You can rate not only for good answers, but also for good questions. The one who asks nothing will learn nothing. If you want to be smart, learn to ask questions.

You can not laugh at a child who asked a weak question. Children have the right to make mistakes.

The manifestation of interest in the environment is very characteristic of children whose development takes place in a normal mode. The curiosity of children is manifested from an early age, and the older the child becomes, the more he shows interest in everything around him. Thanks to this quality, new information is absorbed more easily and faster.

It is the desire to learn as much as possible that contributes to the correct perception of the world, the development of creativity and logical thinking. In the process of mastering the world, the baby learns to find out what this or that action will lead to. Various inventions and devices appear as a result of the exercise of healthy curiosity. It is very important to properly develop interest in gaining new knowledge and experience.

What is curiosity

In essence, curiosity is a general interest in the world around us. The desire for new knowledge and skills is extremely important at a young age. It is at this time that a person's personality is formed. Babies open to the world easily achieve their goals. Thanks to the ability to develop comprehensively, the child gains important experience. The cognitive interests of children must be supported and directed in a peaceful direction.

The need to receive new emotions and experiences arises from the first weeks of life. Preschool age should be used so that the child learns to manage interest without harming himself and others. By trial and error, a little person learns to find something interesting in every day.

pros

Having a healthy interest in the world around you has many positive aspects.

Positive emotions that support the craving for life and knowledge. Without them, the baby will not form a full-fledged nervous system.
Protection from indifference. The inability to show emotions, sympathize and regret causes severe damage to psychological health.
Expanding horizons. Children learn to perceive the world from all sides and in all manifestations. Due to this, the level of erudition is growing quite quickly.
Gaining life experience. It is impossible to save a child from failures and mistakes. Yes, and you don’t need to do this, everyone must learn to cope with the troubles that have arisen and be responsible for their actions.
Increasing industriousness. Children's curiosity leads to the fact that you want to do any action yourself. Because it's interesting to see what happens. Such a desire teaches independence, which cannot but please parents.

Genuine interest in every aspect of life generates the ability to self-learn. It is curiosity that pushes to study more intensively and more diligently than peers.

Minuses

The negative side is manifested in dissatisfaction with relatively unchanging factors. For example, the child realized that the days of the week go in a certain order and nothing else. No matter how much you want to bring the weekend closer - it's impossible. In this case, the baby may be upset. But nature, striving for knowledge, does not retain negative emotions for long. After a short time, attention switches to a new object and discontent is forgotten.

Ordinary curiosity, which can sometimes go beyond reasonable limits, can have completely different consequences. This can lead to serious injury if the gusts are not controlled in time. The development of the interests of children at an early age must be kept under control. This does not mean that each step should be under strict supervision. You just have to be there and insure in case of a dangerous fall.

Connection with other qualities

Being active in exploring the world is closely related to several qualities that will be important in the future. People with a sufficiently developed curiosity successfully acquire the following skills:

Observation. It helps to perceive not only explicit information, but also to find hidden knowledge in almost every action, any subject will become useful and interesting. This skill will help you easily carry learning into older age, get an education and find a job that will bring not only income, but also pleasure.
Ability to extract relevant information. The wider the circle of interests, the easier it is to identify important elements among the mountain of verbal and informative husks.
Predisposition to professional success. An inquisitive person will not be content with the same gray everyday life in a boring office. Ambition, fueled by a genuine interest in the business, leads to rapid career growth.

How to develop curiosity

You can train this useful character trait at any age. Start to be interested in the world with your children and you will see how much new there is around you. When wondering how to develop curiosity, learn a few simple rules:

Don't be afraid to ask questions. One cannot know absolutely everything. Therefore, it is not at all ashamed to ask about what you do not understand. Show interest in new knowledge and it will help you improve your level of development.
Don't strive for perfection. The statement that the best is the enemy of the good is absolutely true. The world is constantly changing, and in an effort to achieve that very ideal, it is easy to burn out and lose your own individuality.
Work and exercise regularly, but don't overexert yourself. Find the optimal load level and do not exceed it. So you can improve your skills without stress and exhaustion.
Take failure as an incentive to learn. A fiasco can be disheartening, it is important to be able to get around this state. Failed to do something the first time? It doesn't matter, the next attempt will be crowned with success.

Teaching your child to ask questions

As soon as the baby has learned to express his thoughts aloud, he immediately begins to bombard his parents with questions. The most common of them is "Why?". At this time, parents should take the time to answer it. Yes, and other questions should not be brushed aside. Otherwise, you risk killing your thirst for knowledge.

A preschooler must learn to formulate their questions correctly. To do this, use a personal example. Try as little as possible to use specific questions that require one-word answers. Be interested in the opinion of a small person about the book or cartoon he read, ask what his impressions of the event were.

Curiosity exercises and games

To develop the desire to learn new things, use fantasy and imagination, arrange small game breaks. This will help increase the level of curiosity and teach the baby to interact with everything that surrounds him.

Old - new. Use unnecessary things in order to create something useful or interesting from them. For example, an empty box, pasted over with colored paper or cloth, will be a wonderful jewelry box. Or from the remnants of cereals and pasta, you can assemble a funny application. Let young creators come up with ways to use old things.
Search for differences. This game trains curiosity, mindfulness and perseverance. Pictures for finding the differences between them can be found in bookstores, stationery departments or on the Internet.
Excavations. In children's stores you can find various variations of this game. The kid is offered to extract the skeleton of a dinosaur, the treasures of the pharaohs, interesting figures from plaster. This is a great way to develop the desire to know the hidden.
Me and the mirror. This game is suitable for senior preschool and primary school age. Invite the child to draw himself in three mirrors of different colors. One is in the past, the other is in the present, and the third is in the future. Then ask him to tell how he sees himself in each drawing. Let it be his fantasy.

While developing the qualities of curiosity in children, try to involve them in daily activities. Learning during routine tasks can be made an exciting process. While cooking together, talk about why water boils, how yeast works, how long it takes to grow vegetables.

No need to impose your own vision of the world. The child should have the right to his own impressions and thoughts. Be sure to let us understand that his opinion in some matters is no less important than your own. If you need to stand your ground, don't use the rude "because I said so." Explain why you are doing this and not otherwise.

Curiosity Examples

All the great scientists who in their time made the most important discoveries in the history of mankind had a well-developed curiosity. Without it, progress would not have been possible. Leonardo Da Vinci believed that this quality is the main engine in the development of human genius.

Albert Einstein said that curiosity, self-criticism and the ability to ask the right questions led him to the most interesting ideas. Thanks to them, he became known throughout the world as a theoretical physicist and Nobel Prize winner.

History keeps many more names that confirm the usefulness of the right interest in oneself and life. Charles Darwin, Michael Faraday, the Montgolfier brothers - they all took their first steps, not being sure of their own success. But they were driven by the desire to understand and understand how everything around us works.

How does a child's curiosity manifest itself?

In addition to the endless questions that are typical for all children, the desire to explore the world has several more active manifestations:

The need to participate in all household chores,
The desire to conduct a variety of experiments and tests,
Interest in logic games, puzzles and puzzles,
Scientific programs with interesting storytellers (they attract even more than cartoons),
The desire to explore the world around you at any opportunity.

Watch your baby, you will certainly understand how interested he is in learning and learning something new. You yourself will be able to see the surroundings from a different angle.

Why is it difficult to cultivate curiosity?

There are several reasons that hinder the development of curiosity:

Increased self-criticism. It occurs when parents demand too much from a child, ignoring his need for praise. Sincerely admire the achievements of your baby, praise, hug more often. Children should not become your method of self-affirmation.
Insufficient cognitive area. This problem can affect you if you do not devote enough time to walking, homeschooling and other areas of life. Visit exhibitions, cinemas and amusement parks, do not be afraid to travel to new cities.
Wrong environment. The peculiarity of children is sociality and the desire to communicate. There should be as many people around as possible who can take a little time to communicate with the little explorer. Try to protect babies from the influence of people with negative emotions.

The genetic predisposition to learning also plays an important role in the development of curiosity. It is worth doing a DNA analysis to find out how the child is able to find and assimilate important information. The specialists of our center will help you decipher the research data and understand how best to involve your child in learning about the world. Consultation and analysis is carried out at any age.

Are they the same as us adults? Sometimes it seems that they are special beings from another planet. Scientists make amazing discoveries related to babies so often that soon the number of the most incredible facts about them will reach seven figures. In the meantime - 40 of the most striking of them.

206 vs 207
No, this is not the result of a football match, but the number of bones in a newborn and, accordingly, an adult. It's just that later the bones of the skull and spine fuse in the child.
Small and big-eyed
The child grows quickly, and only his eyes do not change so noticeably. Because the size of the eyes of a baby is 75% of the adult size.
Dad's stubble is 2 mm, and Uncle Serezha's is almost 3 mm.
The sensitivity of infants is so high that already in the first days of life they can distinguish varying degrees of unshaven.
First smile time
You will have to wait at least a month before the child gives his first smile to his mother. But there is nothing more precious than her.
Your chest is closer
Incredibly, newborn babies can smell (perhaps some other signs) their mother's breasts from all the others, which they most often ignore.
Funny pictures
If you hang a picture of a smiling face above the baby's crib, then the mood and condition of the baby will be positive.
You - to me, I - to you
A sense of justice visits children as early as 12-15 months. Kids are ready to share their toys and expect the same from others.
"Everything is purple"
In the first months, all babies do not distinguish colors, besides they are short-sighted - they distinguish people and objects only at close range.
In native language
Scientists have made an amazing discovery: a child's knowledge of intonation and speech begins even in the prenatal state. The babies of each particular country even cry in their own way.
Coral for each
In many European countries, children are still given, as many centuries ago, rattles made of natural coral. On the one hand, people believe that such an object is the best amulet against the evil eye, on the other hand, it is an excellent teether.
What's in a name?
As you call the baby, so ... the child will live his life. Studies have shown that a girl with a masculine name is distinguished by tougher character traits and an obstinate disposition.
Here I remember, there I don't remember...
Infantile amnesia, with rare exceptions, is present in all children. Until the age of 3, they do not remember their early experiences.
The main device of motherhood - diapers
Just imagine that, on average, about 3,000 of them are spent per child every year.
Music lovers from birth
Babies up to six months are able to distinguish melodic music from more rhythmic, showing emotions in different ways. Good from bad they learn to distinguish later.
"About injury"
According to statistics, children under the age of 6 have the most injuries.
Walk yourself
Canadian children are learning to take their first steps without a walker. This invention, advocated by many parents in other countries, is banned there. It is believed that they cause severe harm to the still weak children's bones.
Born with a gadget
Where are the most advanced children under 10? No, not in Japan, but in Germany. There, kids from birth use modern smartphones and tablets.
Loudest of all
A three-year-old child is able to speak louder than 200 adults talking at the same time. Presumably, children need such a gift so that their mother always hears. Debatable.
"Bad, Good, Evil"
In Japan, which is loyal to children, the words “bad” and “bad” are prohibited in relation to them. Children are treated there only in a positive way.
A little bit about geniuses
The diagnosis of “prematurity” is by no means a sentence for the child’s future talents. And this is an example of Albert Einstein (he did not speak until the age of 9), Pablo Picasso, Isaac Newton, Winston Churchill and many other famous personalities of different years.
Works at 100%
In indigo children, the right and left hemispheres of the brain work autonomously.
And again about geniuses...
A 6-year-old kid came up with a toy drop-down truck. He drew and offered to dad to make him one. And plasticine, so beloved by all children, was invented by a schoolgirl, and initially it was a means for cleaning coal dust from wallpaper. But almond oil and dyes were added to it. And the children were happy.
Into the corner... or naked?
An effective, but not entirely humane way to prevent child disobedience was invented in one Indonesian school. Hooligans were shaved bald for several months for fights and absenteeism. Soon the discipline became exemplary.
recommended to laugh
Laughter is the best medicine or the main defense of the immune system. For health, children are recommended to laugh at least 300 times a day, which is every 3 minutes on average.
Breastfed babies have a unique trick: they can swallow and breathe at the same time. At 9 months, the magical ability disappears.
Born in a car - get a registration number
In the US, about 300 babies are born on the road each year. As a place of birth, they enter not the name of the area, but the number of the car into which the “stork flew in”.
We grow taller
If a person grew at the same speed and intensity as a child under 4 years old, ultimately, his height would be more than 7 meters.
no taste
In the first 3 months, the child is not able to feel the salty taste.
Special boy
Every crown prince in England, in the 15th century, had a single friend and part-time whipping boy. And all because it was strictly forbidden to punish status children. And so the expression was born.
"Bears" rush to the rescue
The kids in Miami are the luckiest. Miami State Police Stations have "bear patrols". Teddy bears accompany law enforcement officers on patrol and often come to the rescue when meeting with a crying baby.

Children are born curious: they come into the world with an innate desire to understand how everything works around them, they strive to touch as many objects as possible to gain new experience, they ask a lot of questions, explore and learn to satisfy their curiosity.

If you want your child to continue learning throughout his life, encourage and develop his curiosity. All children are born with curiosity, but it is important that you consider your child's individual style of curiosity.

All children show curiosity in different ways. For example, some children like to explore how the world works through observation and reflection, while others prefer to do so through physical activities (touching, smelling, or tasting). Try to ensure that each style can be used in a safe and inspiring environment.

Studies have shown that it is not external pressure that prompts the child to seek new impressions, knowledge and experience, but an internal desire to satisfy his curiosity. Curious people are constantly in search of new knowledge. Not only do they love learning and exploring, but they actually enjoy challenging themselves and being passionate about finding solutions. Curiosity also helps people respond positively to uncertainty.

Recent studies have shown how important the role of curiosity in learning is. The best way for children to cope with the educational material was when the teachers managed to arouse their sincere surprise at the unexpected outcome of the experiment being demonstrated.

Given the important role that curiosity plays in the learning process, here are some tips to help develop this quality in a child:

Promote your child's interests. Children learn best through activities that hold their attention and stimulate their imagination. Find activities that your child enjoys the most and practice them together as often as possible. For example, if a child likes to dance to certain music, create all the conditions for this activity for him. If he loves animals, take him to the zoo more often, show films and shows about animals, read books about them together.
Create an interesting space. The youngest children spend most of their time observing their surroundings. They are interested in learning new things about the environment, so give them curious and safe toys and objects that they can explore and that will stimulate their sensations and senses.
Encourage games that stimulate the imagination. Despite the rich variety of electronic toys in our time, try to give children the opportunity to play with simple objects such as boxes, cubes, plasticine or sand. They may seem boring to some, but they are indispensable for the development of creativity and imagination. In fact, these toys are one of the best learning tools as they give a lot of room for curiosity while playing. Don't tell your child what to do with the materials, how to use them, or what the final result of his creation should be. Let his own curiosity be his guide.
Use open questions. Try to avoid questions that require one-word answers like "yes" or "no". By asking open-ended questions, you will stimulate your child's thinking, pushing him to find a solution on his own. Try asking him questions such as: “What do you think about ...?”, “What would you do if you were the protagonist of the book? Why?".

For the development of curiosity, it is important not only to create favorable external conditions, but also to eliminate the factors that kill the desire to learn something new in children - fear, restrictions and lack of interest of parents in the child's activities.

1. Fear. This factor is the No. 1 enemy of curiosity. When a child is worried or afraid, he is likely to give up seeking new knowledge and experience. Remember that how you help your child cope with a stressful situation depends on how soon he adapts and returns to the desire to gain new knowledge and experience.
2. Restrictions. When parents strictly tell their children: “Don’t!”, “Don’t touch!”, “Don’t climb!”, “Don’t shout!”, “Don’t get dirty!”, sooner or later children will lose interest in research. If we instill in them an aversion to soiled clothes, their enthusiasm as naturalists will be greatly reduced. Use as few restrictions as possible, but do not forget about precautions and safety.
3. Lack of parental interest. It is very important that parents do not withdraw from their child's activities, but take part in them with passion and enthusiasm, which provides a favorable psychological and emotional environment for optimal creativity and research. Adult participation gives the child a sense of security, as well as approval of his efforts, which is very important for the development