Exploration and enrichment are the foundation of The Cove School. We believe in cultivating experiences and allowing children to explore to enrich their minds. I was thrilled to find this article in The Harvard Business Review entitled How Do Innovators Think? It is an interview with 2 professors who conducted a six year study of Creative Executives and innovation. The findings are astounding yet not surprising.
Basically they found five “discovery skills” that all innovators share. They are “associating”, questioning, observing details, experimenting and networking. They have summarized the skills to inquisitiveness similar to what we see in young children. What is disheartening is that this natural inquisitiveness that you may see in a four year old-asking questions, wondering how things work, etc. is usually gone by age six or so. They stop asking questions because they learn rather quickly that teachers value right answers over provocative questions.
Reading this article resonated with me in so many ways. Having a four year old myself and working with preschoolers, I am all too familiar with the line of questioning I receive on a daily basis. Some questions I answer and many I respond with “What do you think or why do you think that is?” to provoke their thinking and extend it further. The way you answer can either end the conversation or continue it further {much to your chagrin}.
The article also states:
“We also believe that the most innovative entrepreneurs were very lucky to have been raised in an atmosphere where inquisitiveness was encouraged. We were stuck by the stories they told about being sustained by people who cared about experimentation and exploration.”
In providing a creative, experiential and exploratory environment, it seems we are providing a place for innovators to grow. So the next time your preschooler is asking you questions (even if it is the 100th one) remember to engage their curiosity. You may have an innovator in the making.
