A recent study suggests that fostering a sense of curiosity may help children in their math and reading development in kindergarten. When children showed a sense of curiosity, they were more likely to show higher achievement across socio-economic backgrounds.
Clearly being interested in the world around us helps us to learn – if we don’t ask questions, we can’t benefit from the answers. So parents may well ask, how do I encourage my child to be curious? One technique is when questions do come, to not jump in with your own fully developed answer. When she asks how the toast comes out toasted, encourage her to take a look, make guesses, test theories. Or what about when your children are in the front room, building a fort, or making a tent? How about providing some materials to spark the imagination and let them get on it with it? Learning what works through trial and error will allow for miles more learning opportunities than saying – this is the way it’s done.
Encouraging a fascination in learning is a great gift we can give our children. When you’re out and about together, take the time to notice interesting things together. Get a range of experiences, who knows what will spark her imagination. Talk to her about the things that you’re passionate about and it may well catch on! 
