Children - natural born learners

Every child has a deep, innate curiosity about the surrounding world. This is the first learning environment we face. We all are born with a need to survive and experience the life, and to make sense of what we see, hear and feel. This is the force behind all real learning, and the reason for us to engage in the fundamental learning processes of acquisition and elaboration  (Illeris, 2009).

We use the information we gather from out everyday lives to construct our understanding about ourselves, the life, universe and everything. Children are equipped with tools for learning to make sense of their surroundings - just think what all is accomplished during the first 2-3 years after birth! This informal learning is an enormous force the formal education has chosen not to use.  Instead, children are pushed to engage in formal learning, which is much less enticing.

Not only are all children intelligent and gifted, but they are also motivated to learn - with their own preferences and developmenal curve. They are expert learners, because through purposeful play children experience the thrill of genuine achievement -- have you seen a child succeed for the first time in something they have repeatedly tried to do? Recall that triumphant smile? This is why we will want to support and nurture development in all broad learning domains:

We can nurture these skills in everyday exchanges and also in daycare, pre-school and kindergarten. But we cannot keep testing kids to formally evaluate what they know and can do, because the testing situation is not a natural envoronment for these super-learners. And we can learn to observe (and document, maybe with a photo) of how children are learning to know how to support their learning journey.

Here is a general list of definitions for good learners: 

1. Curiosity
2. Pursuing understanding
3. Recognizing that learning is not always fun (thinking of a two-year-old who wants to succeed, even if it is frustrating)
4. Knowing failure is beneficial (this is the true Growth Mindset!)
5. Making their own knowledge 
6. Always asking questions (multiple times!)
7. Sharing what they have learned

Admittedly, this list was created for students in higher education.  But I think good quality learning is universal and does not depend on the age of the learner.  To reverse the negative effects of schooling we should teach about the growth mindset to empower deeper learning. 

By the time children enter the formal education system they are already expert learners. Depending on the feedback children/students receive about their learning explorations, they will either continue to the direction they are headed, or venture into something else.  Why don't we use their curiosity and enthusiasm by providing meaningful learning experiences and encouraging their questions? 

Why do school systems choose to promote low level skills and compliance over critical thinking? 

Illeris, K. (2009). A comprehensive understanding of human learning.Contemporary theories of learning, 7-20.