Disposition 2: Curiosity (pages 66-68), Chapter 5 Recap

Shifting from identifying to investigating information is a difficult but necessary hurdle to overcome. Information literacy lessons help primary-grade students become comfortable with uncertainty and turn to curiosity.

Curiosity enhances learning by:

• Preparing the brain for learning, activating portions needed for the task.
• Making learning stick with information moved from the temporary to permanent storage areas in the brain.
• Making future learning more rewarding, releasing dopamine, a feel-good chemical. 

Curiosity can become a habit for students when adults: 

• Connect it to academic learning.
• Reward it by praising good questions and sharing quality wonderings on bulletin boards or with other students.
• Model their own curiosity.