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Creativity and Homeschooling
 Curiosity as a Gateway
to Learning
How
Homeschooling Parents can use Curiosity as a Gateway to
Learning.
“Mom! Look at this beautiful butterfly! Where
did it come from? Can it hurt me? What does it eat? Can I touch it?”
These were questions that came fast and furious from my young
daughter the first year we planted our butterfly garden. Although I
could not answer every question as thoroughly as she would have
liked, those questions became the kick-off for a detailed home
school study of butterflies. We hit the library, looked up many
different species on the Internet, purchased a few larvae and
watched them go through all of the stages of metamorphosis, and even
caught a huge caterpillar that looked as though it came right out of
the movie “Bugs Life.”
 Now,
that was a project! We fed that caterpillar every day and could even
hear it chewing on the leaves all the way across the kitchen. It
finally cocooned in late September and never emerged. All winter we
waited. We waited the following spring. And just as we were ready to
give up, we watched as a huge, brilliantly colored Circopia Moth
emerged. Now, my daughter can tell you just about everything you
could possibly want to know about caterpillars and butterflies—and
it wasn’t even part of our home school curriculum!
For young children, curiosity is as much a part of how they
function each day as breathing. In fact, curiosity is essential to
their understanding of the what, why and how of life. It doesn’t
matter what grabs their attention. For some it might be the fire
truck parked outside of the local fire station; for others it may be
how a radio is put together; others can’t wait to figure out how to
make a cake; and still others may be fascinated by the groundhog
that is digging holes in your lawn. Don’t worry about what they are
curious about—capitalize on it. Homeschooling gives you the
opportunity to do so—seize that opportunity!
Give your children the freedom to explore the questions that
naturally arise from this innate curiosity. Rather than simply
explaining it to them, guide them to the right sources and let them
find the answers. This is one of the beauties of homeschooling! By
encouraging them to try to answer their own questions, you are
encouraging their creativity, their thinking skills, their
confidence in themselves—all essential skills for life.
As they grow, your children will begin to wonder about life and
death, war, fighting, and the other bigger issues of life. Rather
than simply answering their questions, ask them what they think.
Then answer their questions as honestly as possible. If you don’t
have an answer, tell them, then work together to find the right
answers. This kind of honesty sets the stage for more weighty
discussions later in life and the dialogue you establish now will
encourage openness and trust.
Bottom line: Despite the craziness that can sometimes occur in a
homeschooling environment, take the time to allow for curiosity.
Create a safe environment for exploration and discussion and find
ways to demonstrate curiosity. Exploring information together can be
a terrific bonding experience as well as a gateway to learning.
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