In Praise of Curious Kids!

May 7

Do you have a curious kid? The kind that drives you crazy with a million why's and who drives his or her teachers crazy by asking questions about topics not covered by the curriculum? Celebrate! Research shows that curiosity is just as important to learning as is self control.

The findings stem from longitudinal research conducted by C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and the Center for Human Growth and Development. "The researchers found that even after controlling for differences in children's backgrounds and whether or not they had attended preschool, the young children's curiosity -- in particular their 'eagerness to learn new things' -- was as good a predictor of their later kindergarten math and reading achievement as were early measures of self-control." In fact, the researchers found that curiosity has a high impact on children from low socioeconomic status and can outweigh lack of outside resources.

So the next time that your child asks why, smile! And then help them find out why.

Reference: Shah, P.E. et al (2018). Early Childhood Curiosity and Kindergarten Reading and Math Academic Achievement, Pediatric Research DOI: 10.1038/s41390-018-0039-3

Margy Hillman

Margy Hillman writes plays, poetry, and children’s stories.

Children’s books: Recently she has turned to children’s literature with an aspiration to create really engaging stories and characters and mesh these with an underlying message of environmental protection and respect for ecosystems and their inhabitants. Her first book, The Beavertons and the Mystery of the Disappearing Pond, is self-published and available on Amazon as a Kindle e-book and as a paperback.

Poetry: Margy began writing children’s poetry for educational games, but then switched to poetry for grown-ups. She recently self-published her first volume of poetry Still Breathing More or Less on Amazon as an e-book and a paperback.

Playwright: Margy began writing plays about 20 years ago. Her play Kangaroo was her first entrée into the world of playwriting. Both brutal and funny, the play has had three staged readings: one at University of Santa Cruz, one at an Art2Go function in San Francisco, and one at North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach, California. She is currently working on two other plays: In Exile, a play that integrates a contemporary dramedy with a Greek chorus and Stones Throw, a satire about family intervention.

https://www.margyhillmanwriter.com

In Praise of Curious Kids!

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