Making Room for Curiosity This Summer
Summer often comes with pressure to keep children busy. Camps, vacations, sports, and playdates all have their place, but some of the most meaningful learning happens during the quiet moments in between.
At The Marylhurst School, inquiry begins with wondering. Before children can investigate, create, or solve problems, they need opportunities to ask questions and discover what captures their imagination. Summer offers a wonderful chance to slow down and make room for that kind of learning.
Read Together, In Whatever Way Works
One of the simplest and most powerful ways to nurture curiosity is to make reading part of your family's everyday rhythm. Every child connects with stories differently, which means that there are endless ways of making reading a regular part of the day.
Read aloud together, even with older children.
Listen to audiobooks on road trips or while doing chores.
Encourage graphic novels, magazines, cookbooks, and nonfiction books about topics your child loves.
Visit your local library and let your child choose books simply because they look interesting.
Encourage them to write and write with them. When a child writes, they are reading!
The goal isn't to finish a certain number of books. It's to help children experience reading as something enjoyable, comforting, and worth returning to.
Let Questions Lead
Sometimes the most valuable part of reading isn't the story itself, it's the conversation that follows.
"What surprised you?"
"Why do you think that happened?"
"What would you have done?"
"I wonder if that's true..."
Children don't need adults who have all the answers. They need adults who are willing to wonder alongside them.
When a child asks a question, resist the urge to immediately provide the answer. Instead, explore together. Look it up. Experiment. Ask another question. Curiosity grows when children discover that learning is something they actively participate in rather than simply receive.
Don't Be Afraid of Boredom
Boredom often gets a bad reputation, but it can be one of childhood's greatest gifts.
When children aren't constantly entertained, something remarkable happens. They invent games. Build forts. Draw maps. Put on shows. Create imaginary worlds. Start businesses. Ask unexpected questions. Solve problems they created themselves.
These moments help children become more capable and confident because they are practicing how to generate ideas rather than waiting for someone else to provide them.
Boredom isn't always comfortable at first. That's okay.
Instead of immediately offering another activity or screen, try responding with, "I wonder what you'll come up with."
You may be surprised by what happens next.
Recommended Reading for Parents
Our teachers love learning alongside their students, and they also have favorite books for parents. Here are a few recommendations:
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
This thought-provoking book examines the relationship between smartphones, social media, and the growing mental health challenges facing children and teens. Drawing on extensive research, Haidt explores how declines in independent play, face-to-face interaction, and real-world experiences have affected child development, while offering practical ideas for families and schools to help children thrive.
How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith
Clint Smith writes, "The history of slavery is the history of the United States." Through visits to historical sites across the country, he invites readers to engage thoughtfully with America's past in ways that are both informative and deeply human. Raven students will read excerpts from the young readers edition during the coming school year.
Yardsticks: Child and Adolescent Development Ages 4–14 by Chip Wood
A favorite among educators, Yardsticks offers an accessible guide to child development at each stage from ages 4 through 14. Understanding what is developmentally typical can help parents better support children with confidence and perspective.
The Tech Exit: A Practical Guide to Freeing Kids & Teens from Smartphones by Claire Morell
For families thinking critically about technology, this practical guide explores alternatives to raising children with smartphones and tablets. Morell argues that screen time limits alone are not enough and offers concrete strategies for creating a more connected, less screen-dependent childhood. One of her key recommendations is finding other families to make the journey together—something our Marylhurst community is uniquely positioned to do.
A Few Ideas to Try This Week
Start a family read-aloud before bedtime.
Create a daily family reading time where everyone, including adults, reads together.
Let your child choose an audiobook for your next drive.
Visit the library without a reading list and let curiosity guide the selections.
When possible, leave a little unstructured time and see where your child's imagination leads.
Keep a family "Wonder Journal" where everyone writes questions they'd like to explore.
Write a story together. Trade off sentence by sentence or paragraph by paragraph. Avoid correcting. Just let the story flow and see what happens.
Curiosity Lasts Long After Summer
At Marylhurst, we know that meaningful learning doesn't begin with memorizing facts. It begins with a child asking, "I wonder..."
Whether that wondering starts with a favorite book, an afternoon of imaginative play, a conversation around the dinner table, or a moment of boredom, those questions become the foundation for deeper learning.
However your family spends the summer, we hope you'll find moments to read together, ask questions, follow new interests, and wonder alongside your child. Those moments are where meaningful learning begins.
