We are all curious about our world, about possibilities, what ifs?
What if I did that?
What if I am wrong?
What if she does that?
Most of us imagine multiple possible scenarios dozens of times each day.
Forming questions leads us to problem solving and ultimately we decide which questions to follow, form a hunch, hypothethise and try to order our inquiry.
This questioning attitude is an essential part of kids’ minds. Unfortunately, we dull their minds by not encouraging their questions.
We learned about question marks last week and I was astounded!
WHY IS GOD THERE? asks a 7 year old.
WHY DO YOUNG KIDS SOMETIMES DIE? asks a 9 year old.
WHY ARE TEACHERS SO STRICT? asks a feisty 6 year old youngster.
WHY DO WE HAVE TO LIVE FOREVER? asks a six year old who attends a Catholic school and on and on to totally mind blowing and obscure questions about the Mosasaurs.
My brain hurts but I know it is my job to awaken their curiosity not dampen it.
The link provided here is an excellent blog post on improving our ability to teach kids about questions. Both teachers and parents can benefit from a careful reading!
We are all curious about our world, about possibilities, what ifs?
