5+ Factors that Can Boost Your Child’s Curiosity
Mind
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Curiosity is a common trait in children. In fact, did you know that by the age of 4, children are known to ask an average of 390 questions?
Well, be grateful for this curiosity as it is not just a mere trait but can be the foundation stone of lifelong learning. It is this curiosity that unearths discoveries, drives innovation and uncovers the world surrounding us. Join us as we attempt in this article to decode the benefits of encouraging curiosity in children, while also focusing on strategies to keep this curiosity flowing in the young minds.
Also Read | All You Need to Know About Creative Reinforcement of Curiosity in Students
Understanding Curiosity
Curiosity is not a static trait, it develops and evolves over time. Here is a look at the different stages of curiosity in different stages of life:
- Infancy: Known as sensorimotor curiosity, kids this young mostly focus on curiosity driven by their sensory exploration. Their curiosity is exhibited by reaching out, grabbing things, trying to taste things, etc.
- Toddlerhood: Also falling in the category of sensorimotor, toddlerhood curiosity evolves to become more exploratory and intentional. Toddlers begin to seek out new experiences, trying to establish cause-effect relationships.
- Early Childhood: Early childhood is characterised by perceptual curiosity. Children start getting fascinated by all that they see around them, raising questions like “Why is the sky blue?”, “Why do lemons taste sour?”
- Middle Childhood: Called epistemic curiosity, curiosity in middle childhood becomes more focused on acquiring knowledge and understanding abstract concepts. Children grow widely curious about why and how things work the way they do.
- Adolescence: Curiosity takes on a social turn in adolescence as teenagers are actively trying to understand themselves as well as the people that surround them. Curiosity in adolescence mostly revolves around relationships and emotions.
Check Out: Teenage Issues: What do teens worry about?
Factors that Influence Curiosity
It is a well-known fact that curiosity is a trait that emerges from within us. However, there are a variety of factors that can influence the functioning of curiosity. Let us take a look at some of these factors:
- Environment at Home: The environment children grow up in at home plays a significant role in shaping them as individuals. When parents and family members tend to the curious whims of the children and engage them in stimulating activities, the young minds are further encouraged to explore more and thus remain curious.
- Influence of Peers: Children are quite affected by what their peers are doing in life. Such influences greatly affect kids' behavioural development as they often tend to copy each other’s behaviours and norms. If they see their peers being curious and explorative, they are most likely to follow suit. A study by Gallup has proved this as they reported 65% of children being influenced by their peers’ curious behaviour.
- Innate Traits: Children possess an innate curiosity in them- some might be very curious while others not so. Over time, curiosity can be cultivated in children as a study published in Child Development has established that differences in curiosity levels in children can be spotted from the pre-school age, while some may consistently demonstrate higher levels of curiosity as time goes by.
- Learning Practices: Parents should make sure that their children are admitted to a school that follows a curriculum relevant to the child’s development as well as their interests. Schools that follow learning approaches like inquiry-based learning should be preferred as it is known to enhance engagement and curiosity by almost 20%, as per a study by the Review of Educational Research.
- Access to Resources: Data from the National Center for Education Statistics reveals that children with access to resources are 2.5 times more likely to demonstrate higher levels of curiosity. Resources can start early on in the form of picture books and encyclopedias and then go on to include technological access in the form of the Internet. Exposure to resources helps children to explore more and seek out answers to their questions, all on their own.
- Cultural Values: Cultural beliefs and values regarding curiosity and learning can have a significant impact on shaping the behaviours and attitudes of children. The difference in the curiosity levels of children belonging to different cultures is further supported by cross-cultural studies that have been carried out from time to time.
DPS Jaipur: Igniting Curiosity in Young Minds
One of the most popular chains of schools in India, Delhi Public School, in Jaipur, caters to fostering holistic development in their students. Established in the year 2003, DPS Jaipur is a boarding school that boasts of making available the best-of-the-best facilities and experiences for its students.
A co-educational boarding school, DPS Jaipur envisions ‘Creativity in thought; thought in action; action with purpose and purpose in life’. The educators here are focused on fuelling curiosity in the students, instilling in them discipline and encouraging empathy. They believe that curiosity in children is nothing but an appetite for knowledge, an appetite that should be well catered to by giving them learning opportunities.
Service before self is the norm here at DPS Jaipur. The school has been working towards providing the best for their students, giving it their all to ensure that the future generation is well nurtured. DPS Jaipur pledges to guide its students through different phases of development, helping them grow into responsible global citizens of tomorrow.
With education growing more and more competitive with every passing day, it is difficult to find schools that actually cater to nurturing the curiosity in children. So, do not let this opportunity slide and apply now to DPS Jaipur!
