Did you know that curious children are usually the students in your classroom that need to be challenged the most? Students who are consistently asking questions are probably more aware of their senses and surroundings than you think. So, how can you keep this curious child at ease and challenge them to discovery on their own?
Try This: Create an interest box or sensory bottles for your classroom. Not only are they wonderful learning tools for your science area, they allow children to explore and discover things on their own.
A child’s curiosity will only build as they grow, leading them to ask more questions about the things they are interested in. If a particular child is interested only in the study of bugs, guide them and ask questions like, “Can you tell me which bugs you would find in the dirt?” and “Can you tell me which bugs you would find in the grass?” This challenges the child to THINK about which bugs would be classified into groups. Challenge them to sort bugs by the number of legs or if the bug has wings! Enhancing their curiosity in a specific subject cause the child to repeat the activity until they are comfortable with exploring it on their own. This repetition in learning can build the student’s confidence, as their knowledge for the area of study grows.
If a child’s interest is concentrated, try connecting their interest to a book or activity. If you have a bug lover---connect it to an age appropriate book like Ten Wriggly, Wiggly, Caterpillars by: Debbie Tarbett, which introduces counting backwards from ten or Bob and Otto by: Robert O. Bruel, which highlights the differences in palindromes (caterpillars and worms). You can connect a child’s curiosity to an activity…for example, this bug magnetic puzzle from Melissa & Doug not only will interest a child who likes bugs, but will also work on their fine motor skills.
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