Not Just Cute is one of the very first blogs that I subscribed to. I was cleaning out my inbox and I came across an old post from November that I just had to share with y'all. It is that good.
Amanda writes: Curiousity is a critical element in authentic learning. It is the ability to ask, “Why…” and “What if…” It is the ability to think creatively beyond the bounds of what is known, and it is the driving force behind every innovation and advancement in every discipline and at their intersections.
It is commonly said that children are naturally curious. Sometimes however, that fountain of curiosity becomes blocked with our focus on making sure they have the answers rather than the process of getting them. As was written by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman in The Creativity Crisis:
"Preschool children, on average, ask their parents about 100 question a day. Why, why, why — sometimes parents just wish it’d stop. Tragically, it does stop. By middle school they’ve pretty much stopped asking. It’s no coincidence that this same time is when student motivation and engagement plummet. They didn’t stop asking questions because they lost interest: it’s the other way around. They lost interest because they stopped asking questions." {Source :: Helping Kids Stay Passionately Curious}
So what do we do as parents and educators to encourage our children to be passionately curious?
Step one? Download the free eBook Creativity Matters from Not Just Cute. I'd love if you'd share any comments, ideas, or opinions. Start a conversation on Pinterest, Facebook, or in the comments below.
PS: Thanks again Amanda for the time and energy you put into your blog. It is a wonderful resource for parents.