Reduce screen time and let your child develop interests naturally. If your child likes music, play it often, make and play instruments together, and dance together. If your child likes bugs, give them a shovel and a net, and find books on bugs to read together. Aishworiya, R., Cai, S. & Chen, H., Phua, D., Broekman, B., Daniel, L., Chong, Y.S., Shek, L., Yap, F., Chan, S.Y., Meaney, M. & Law, E. (2019). Television viewing and child cognition in a longitudinal birth cohort in Singapore: the role of maternal factors. BMC Pediatrics. 19.10.1186/s12887-019-1651-z. (Level V) Honig, A.S., Miller, S.A., & Church, E.B. (2006) How curiosity leads to learning. Early Childhood Today, 21 2), 19–23. Paudel, S., Leavy, J., & Jancey, J. (2016). Correlates of mobile screen media use among children aged 0-8: protocol for a systematic review. Systematic reviews, 5, 91. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-016-0272-y (Level II) Zero to Three. (2010). Tips on nurturing your child’s curiosity. Retrieved from: https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/224-tips-on-nurturingyour-child-s-curiosity#chapter-148 (Level III-website)
Reducing screen time allows children to play and explore their interests indoors and outdoors to build curiosity. Studies in various countries have found that exposure to too much screen time in young children negatively affects their cognitive abilities, attention skills, language development and future academic skills. Aishworiya, R., Cai, S. & Chen, H., Phua, D., Broekman, B., Daniel, L., Chong, Y.S., Shek, L., Yap, F., Chan, S.Y., Meaney, M. & Law, E. (2019). Television viewing and child cognition in a longitudinal birth cohort in Singapore: the role of maternal factors. BMC Pediatrics. 19. 10.1186/s12887-019-1651-z. (Level V) Paudel, S., Leavy, J., & Jancey, J. (2016). Correlates of mobile screen media use among children aged 0-8: protocol for a systematic review. Systematic reviews, 5, 91. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-016-0272-y (Level II)
Children learn much more through activities that capture their attention and imagination. Curiosity in young children can be encouraged by following their interests when they are exploring. Careful observation and encouragement through verbal and non-verbal means encourage the child to remain curious, continue exploring, and sustain an inquiring mind. Caregivers can observe what makes the child curious and offer choices for the child to pursue what he/she is curious about. Responsive care and sensitivity to the needs of the child encourages the child to explore in safe environments.
Read more at AL-CUR-C02 and AL-CUR-C03.