Lead less, follow more
Support learning by following a child’s natural curiosity.
Do you sometimes feel the urge to redirect a child from something they are deeply interested in? Children learn best when we resist that urge and let them follow their curiosity instead.
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A child plays the same tune again and again, spends hours building with blocks, becomes completely fascinated by dinosaurs, or explores bugs on a walk in the backyard. We worry they are wasting their time, which makes us want to steer them toward what seems more worthwhile, such as practicing letters, numbers, and piano scales, reading, writing neatly, or tidying toys.
When children follow their own interests, they are fully engaged, focused, and motivated in what they do. Each repeated tune, tower of blocks, or curious bug inspection lets them experiment, figure things out, and learn at their own pace. This builds attention, curiosity, competence, and autonomy, qualities that planned lessons or guided activities not aligned with their current interests rarely inspire as deeply. Of course, when safety is a concern, we step in, but otherwise we let their curiosity guide them.
Giving children the lead is like letting a plant grow toward the sunlight instead of forcing it to face a different direction.
Supporting a child’s natural curiosity doesn’t mean doing nothing. We can follow more and lead less by noticing what captures their attention, inviting them to share what they discover, and offering resources or materials to help them explore further. Instead of redirecting or imposing our agenda, we can offer encouragement, share our enthusiasm, and join in when invited, while letting them set the pace and direction of their learning. Small actions, like bringing out extra blocks when they’re building, letting them investigate a bug longer, or giving them a book about what interests them, help them dive deeper without taking over.
Leading less can feel counterintuitive, but it doesn’t stop children from learning the things they need to learn. We just need to find a way to connect these to what interests them. For example, if a child is fascinated by dinosaurs, we might give them a book about dinosaurs to read, invite them to write a story, or count dinosaurs in the illustrations. Playing a favorite tune repeatedly helps them practice focus, rhythm, and fine motor skills, like hand and finger control. Exploring bugs on a walk provides opportunities to count and name them, pay close attention to them, and later look them up online or in a book. Together, these examples show how following a child’s curiosity naturally builds important skills while keeping learning joyful and engaging.
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Letting children follow their own curiosity may feel counterintuitive, but it allows them to build skills while keeping learning joyful. By guiding less, we make room for their natural motivation to shape their own growth.
