SPEAKING OUT WILL BENEFIT CHILDREN MORE THAN JUST LISTENING
Children are curious by nature, and one of the characteristics that makes a kid stand out from among the masses is their ability to use this curiosity to learn about their surroundings. Their curious nature makes them notice things, wonder about them, and amplifies their want to learn more about everything. This is a gradual but special process, and each child develops their thinking abilities at a different pace, making them unique to each other, and yet similar in terms of their growing curiosity.
This process starts from an early age. When a child sees a peculiar object or entity, the first question that pops up in their minds is about what that entity really is. A curious child will not only ask this one question, but also try and find the answers to a dozen questions that flood their mind as soon as they see something they cannot recognize or something that piques their interest.
What is the name of the entity? Why does it look the way it does? Where did it come from? What does it do? Is this dangerous or friendly, or is it something that can be felt by touching, or hearing, or feeling? Is it something that can be explored physically or emotionally?
These are just general examples taken out of the numerous queries that run through a child’s mind when they come across a new unidentified entity. Almost 90% of a child’s brain is developed by the time they are 8 years old. During this time, their minds are buzzing with curiosity, their hands itching to explore and find things out in the unknown. For many children, their curiosity forms the foundation of their development that would aid them later in their lives. For parents, family members, and teachers, it is important to nurture this gradually growing curiosity. They should tempt them to ask more questions, to explore more in-depth about things they do not yet know of, and to understand the importance of how much this growth will actually matter in the long run. A child who is curious at a young age consequently wants to learn more about everything. This leads to their growing willingness to explore beyond the boundaries of school books. This curiosity is what eventually leads them to discover new things, put their skills to use to generate great ideas that impact the world, and if this curiosity is nurtured at the right age, it never leaves the child throughout their lives. Even when they grow up, their curious streak develops with them, and as an adult, they are less inclined to settle for mediocre achievements. They are the ones who turn out to be great in their fields, whether if he/she is an inventor, a writer, a performer, or anything else.
When a child is first enrolled in school, the opportunities laid open before that child are tremendous in magnitude. They are going to be able to showcase their talents and to learn more about their surroundings in a dedicated learning environment. The kind of education imparted to a child at an early age is important in order to shape the possibilities of their future. A learning environment must be adaptable, fun, encouraging, and most of all, give the children a platform to explore their curiosity and speak up about what they want. Speaking up makes them stand out from the crowd, makes them question things rather than just going with the flow. Speaking up makes them ask questions that were earlier ignored, and in the process, discover new horizons and fully develop their own capabilities.
ENCOURAGING CHILDREN TO SPEAK UP
It is not hard to fall into a pattern for children when it comes to learning habits. At school or at home, if the teacher goes on to teach in such a way that leaves no opportunity for the child to express themselves or showcase their abilities, it can prove to be very detrimental for their development. This can be a disadvantage during their school years, and continue to be a big problem throughout their lives.
When a teacher makes their student only listen, for the first one or two times the child will try and raise their voice. But as the same behavior gets repeated, they gradually stop trying to raise their voice and start to conform to the norms as the other students remain silent as well. The entire classroom becomes inactive, and the fun aspect of education for the children is gone. It becomes boring for the children and does not interest them anymore. This forms a dangerous pattern of subdued voice that follows the child like a shadow through their years of learning. Studies have revealed that children whose voices are silenced or who are not encouraged to speak up about what they want, or what they do not want from a young age, have more trouble expressing themselves in the long run as well. As adults, they experience the same hesitation when it comes to expressing their feelings. This subduing can also lead to low self-esteem and make the child quieter and more prone to just listening and never arguing when something is not right. It is a very small habit that is formed early into childhood that but impacts not only their learning process but also their personalities.
Listening more and speaking out less also leads them to slowly diminish their curiosity over time. For children especially, this can be dangerous as it makes them less inclined to ask questions and more used to just conforming to whatever external sources tell them. This impacts their ability to make decisions, and also makes them unable to explore beyond what is ordinary. It hinders their overall development and crushes their tender curious minds.
So what can be done to prevent this? What can be done to make sure that children grow up to have a voice of their own and being able to do things how they want to do them and explore beyond imaginable limits, without any fear or hesitation? How to make sure that a child not only listens but also asks?
The first step an adult supervisor or a parent can take is to not stop them when they ask questions: whether it is a small query or a big, intricate question about the universe. Children must never be told to stop voicing their opinions. Parents and teachers must make sure to not brush off these opinions as childish or unnecessary, but instead must tell the children to keep being curious, and keep asking questions and forming their own thoughts about things. Even if they are wrong or misguided, the adults can make them see the correct way to do things. Guidance is a necessary element of how children can be raised to become the best version of themselves, without other forces weighing them down.
Teachers must make sure to mould the school environment in such a way that only they do not do the talking. Yes, it is important for the teacher to impart knowledge, but it is also equally important for the children to have their own opinions on everything. They must be encouraged to ask questions when they do not understand anything, and not just nod their heads absent-mindedly. It is seen that as more children in a classroom start raising their hands, the quiet and shy children who are usually not used to speaking also make an effort to do so, getting motivated by the other kids. This can make the classroom a lively environment for the optimum utilisation of the child’s personality. Kindergartens must make sure to let children play as much as possible with different objects, as puzzles, quizzes, and even small and easy contests let them grow intellectually. Schools should not be a institutionalised platform, but should be a way to let children’s minds run free, to the fullest of their capabilities.
Studies must be interactive. They should not just make the child learn them quietly and then write them in tests, but also make sure that the studies are practically indulged in by the child. Activities can make learning more fun, and make children enjoy their books and courses. For their age, they must be let out outdoors as much as possible. Interaction with the natural environment must be encouraged in order to make them see and learn new things.
Teachers and parents must value the children’s questions. They must not ignore their questions even if they are childish and do not make sense. Even if the questions make no sense, the adults must try to answer them as much as possible. This makes them ask more questions. If an adult tells them that their question is useless, their confidence decreases and it demotivates them. It is very important to not demotivate children during their learning process when it comes to anything. If they are demotivated again and again, they stop wanting to raise their voice and this quenches their thirst for exploration because they fear that their observations will not be taken seriously at all by anyone else.
Rewarding children for asking questions is another way of making sure that they ask as much as they want to. Small prizes should be put out: like an ice cream, a bar of chocolate, a book, a packet of crayons, and so on. This makes the children want to ask more, and when they do this, they learn more and are more encouraged. Rewards can also be praise in general or small things that the adult can do for the child, like letting them play for ten minutes more, or take them out for a walk to their favourite park. This forms a trusting relationship between the adult and the child as well, and trusting the adult means that the child does not hesitate to speak out in front of them.
The importance of nurturing a child’s ability to ask questions is immense, considering the impact it has not only on the young mind, but also how it continues to impact them through the years of growth. Adapting measures that encourage this is very important to make sure a child unlocks the full capabilities of their curiosity and imagination, and nothing can stop them from reaching their goals.
Ootsuk is a website that was built for this very reason: to ensure that children ask questions when necessary and broaden their mindsets. The website is designed to aggravate the process of development, to make sure that children enjoy their learning through fun activities that poke at their curious minds and as a result they become enlightened and excited about the world around them. The website was designed keeping the children’s curiosity in mind, and is filled with puzzles, contests, and learning activities that are designed in a vibrant display that is sure to catch the attention of children and help them explore their capabilities.
Visit https://www.ootsuk.com/ to explore a new horizon of learning that does not have to subdue your child’s imagination in any way and helps them become the new curious leaders of tomorrow.
