What If You Learn Like a Baby?

In addition to what we learn as babies, it's how we learn that makes it our "golden age" of learning. Watching my boy learn to say his first word taught me what's missing in our efforts to improve education isn't money, technology, or curriculum: it's our how. Noel learned his first word through a fluid process of curiosity, encouragement, repetition, self-determination, and love. He didn't learn this word in a classroom, nor did he learn it after a study session; but his grandma was present with assistance and celebration. The looks on his face that bookmarked his first word, of sheer will and pure joy, were like polarizing ends of a perpetual motion machine. Is this process of learning what will power his learning for everything from taking his first steps to making his first friend? What if, whenever learning is powered by a process of curiosity, encouragement, repetition, self-determination, and love, learning becomes obvious, natural, and affirming; even though she was miles away hard at work when he called her, Noel's first word was, Mamma.

What? to Wow!

Curiosity Based Learning