“Curiosity really is one of the very intense and very basic impulses in humans. We should base education on this behavior.” ~ Dr. Evie Malaia, Assistant Professor, Southwest Center for Mind, Brain, and Education

“What, exactly, is curiosity and how does it work? A study published in the October issue of the journal Neuron, suggests that the brain’s chemistry changes when we become curious, helping us better learn and retain information.” Read more about “What’s Going on Inside the Brain Of A Curious Child” in MindShift.

We educators have spent much of our time focusing on what children are expected to learn, but how they learn is often less of a focus. Babies are born with “core knowledge” that helps them process the world. When the world doesn’t function according to what babies think will happen, they become further engaged and curious to learn more (see “Why Babies Love (And Learn From) Magic Tricks” in NPR Ed). Continue reading →