Blog Posts

Helping Our Children Love to Know

In our introduction to intellectual virtues, we described curiosity as:

A desire to know, understand, discover, and explore.

Curiosity is often where intellectual growth begins. A curious child looks at the world and thinks, “I wonder…”

• Why does the moon change shape?
• How does an airplane stay in the air?
• Why did that person say that?
• What would happen if…?
• How do we know that’s true?

These questions may sometimes seem inconvenient…especially the 47th “why?” before breakfast…but they are evidence of something worth cultivating.

Curiosity is a gift.

At WCA, we want to help students retain that sense of wonder as they grow. We don't want students to learn simply because they are told to learn. We want them to become people who want to understand.

Curiosity Across the Years

Curiosity doesn't disappear as children grow; ideally, it becomes more sophisticated.

Preschool — WONDER

“What is this?”
Young children explore their world. They ask questions, investigate, notice things, and delight in discovering something new.

Lower Elementary — K–2 — DISCOVER

“What can I learn?”
Students begin intentionally seeking answers. They ask questions about how and why things work and look for information that satisfies their curiosity.

Upper Elementary — 3–5 — INVESTIGATE

“How can I find out?”
Students begin asking better and more specific questions. They can pursue a question, gather information, and investigate possibilities beyond the first answer.

Middle School — 6–8 — EVALUATE

“Is there more to this?”
Curiosity becomes more analytical. Students begin questioning assumptions, exploring complexity, and asking questions that don't have simple answers.

High School — 9–12 — PURSUE TRUTH

“What is true, and how can I know?”
Mature curiosity leads students toward independent inquiry. They learn to pursue significant questions, investigate evidence, and continue searching even when the answer isn't easy.

The goal is not to produce adults who ask endless questions simply for the sake of asking questions. The goal is to produce lifelong learners who genuinely desire to know and understand.

How Can Parents Cultivate Curiosity?

The good news is that you don't need special materials, curriculum, or activities.

Your family is already full of opportunities.

1. Don't always answer immediately.

When your child asks a question, sometimes respond:
“What do you think?”
or
“That's a good question. How could we find out?”
You are teaching your child that questions are not problems to be eliminated. They are doors to discovery.

2. Ask “why” and “how” questions yourself.

Instead of only asking:
“What happened at school today?”
Try:
“What was the most interesting thing you learned today?”
“What surprised you?”
“What is something you still wonder about?”
“What question would you like to ask your teacher?”
These questions encourage children to think beyond simply reporting what happened.

3. Follow an unexpected question.

If your child asks something interesting, occasionally take five minutes to investigate it together.
Look it up. Find a book. Watch a demonstration. Talk to someone who knows.
The lesson isn't merely the answer.
The lesson is that curiosity can lead somewhere.

4. Read widely together.

Children encounter wonderful questions through books.
When reading together, pause occasionally and ask:
“Why do you think the character did that?”
“What do you think will happen next?”
“What would you have done?”
“What does this make you wonder?”
Reading becomes more than receiving information. It becomes an opportunity to think.

5. Let your children see you being curious.

Perhaps the most powerful thing a parent can say is:
“I don't know. Let's find out.”
When children see their parents asking questions, learning something new, looking something up, visiting a museum, reading about an unfamiliar subject, or becoming fascinated by something in God's creation, they learn that learning doesn't end when school ends.

A Word of Encouragement for Parents

Curiosity can sometimes be messy. Curious children ask inconvenient questions. They interrupt. They want to know why. They want to take things apart. They sometimes go down rabbit holes that have absolutely nothing to do with the assignment they were supposed to be doing. Of course, children also need boundaries. Not every question requires a 30-minute investigation, and sometimes the answer really is:

“We'll talk about that later.”

But when possible, protect the wonder. The child who wants to know why ants work together may someday become the student who wants to understand biology. The child fascinated by stars may someday study astronomy. The child who constantly asks, “But why?” may someday become the adult who refuses to accept superficial answers. Curiosity can be the beginning of a lifelong pursuit of Truth.

One Simple Challenge for This Month

At some point this week, ask your child:

“What is something you're curious about right now?”

Don't turn it into homework. Just listen. Then, if the question is worth pursuing, pursue it together. Because one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is not simply the ability to find answers. It is the desire to keep asking good questions.

At WCA, we want our students to be people who never lose their wonder at God's world and their desire to discover what is true.

Soli Deo Gloria