March 2026 Blog - Curiosity & Questions

World Curiosity Day - March 16th!

St. Patrick's Day - March 17th

Hello to March! Most of us are glad to be over February with the craziest snow storms this nation has seen in many years as it blanketed much of the SouthWest in unusual weather, then followed a Nor'easter of the Northern coastal states. Wherever you were during these nutty winter days, I hope you and your loved ones were safe and toasty warm inside. This definitely has been as unusual year for weather, but hopefully now that Lent is upon us Spring is just around the corner!

As every month I write about the three topics that spark my interest, this month will specifically touch on how Curiosity and Questions not only make great stories but is the basis for the beginning of a lifetime of knowing, understanding and communicating information both written and spoken.

I. When it comes to writing, this month I ponder "why questions make great stories?" as we learn what encourages children to build stories around curiosity and unanswered questions.

I can remember when I was young, I always asked "why" whenever my Mom or Dad told me something I hadn't known yet. It must have drove them crazy but as a child who was uninformed about life until I lived it, I truly wanted to know the "why" in everything. Not to be a pain but to make sense of the things I heard that I did not understand.

When children ask questions for pure curiosity, they tend to truly want to know the "why" which makes story writing more enjoyable. One of the most common but almost always asked questions that children ask is "why is the sky blue?" and "Where do babies come from?" Of course these answers must be prepared by an adult who must go into some detailed facts on each subject in accordance with the child's age and maturity. For those questions that revolve around how the world works, daily routines or life events such as "why do people die?" having conversations before the story is written makes better sense. Likewise, many questions and thoughts are of sensitive subject matter so caution should be used. However, children who want to write a story about "how popcorn pops" can do so with a little research in the science of what makes the corn kernel produce a light and airy snack after a few minutes in an air fryer or on the stove top in a pot of hot oil.

The question then can become the story of two friends who are bored on a rainy Saturday and decide to experiment with making popcorn after seeing a commercial for popcorn on TV.

If you have an academic child who loves learning about history, science, math, etc, stories that not only answer questions but entertain with humor may be the way to go. By using a scientific concepy such as a math rule or gravity, a child can make up a funny scenario involving a runaway number because it felt "pushed away" when doing division. (Did you see what happened there?)

Or a pizza that disappeared due to a dividing of the assets when learning about sharing as in a conflict among friends.

Once again, when using these concepts for writing stories about questions, it must be relatable and the story accurate in context. Creating silly characters and using humorous details add to the interest.

Below find a printable prompt sheet "My Big Questions" to help organize your story using these "Who" starters:

II. On Education this month, we touch on "Encouraging Inquiry-based Learning at Home" and how to support questioning without rushing to answers.

From teacher to parent, children want to know the "whys" and "hows" of things and taking time to address the questions so the minds of our kids are satisfied takes time and patience for both parent and teacher. When kids are involved in process-oriented tasks like understanding how to organize a calendar of events or what it takes to earn enough money for a weekend trip to a dude ranch, there will be questions related to the beginning stage and all those that lead to the conclusion.

Let's start at the simple question about a child who's learning about the body in science, for example,"what does the colon do?" All the language used to describe how the different systems (digestive, respiratory, etc) can prompt questions about things they may not be ready to understand or be relevant, will and does come up, so it's important to help them learn about the subject without adding too much information too soon. Answer the question at hand and let them think about how it relates to their studying. Using the "what does a colon do?" as an example, explain location, functions and why it matters. So, we may begin to explain by saying the colon is located in the belly area and it's part of the large intestine. It's function is that it absorbs water and nutrients and turns liquid waste into solid poop, storing it until it's time to go to the bathroom.(This is where they would insert a funny remark for giggles, so go with it!) It matters because it helps absorb water back into the blood.

So it's a three part answer for details but a shorter answer could be: it's the end of your digestive system and handles food waste, like a recycling machine.

Two styles of responses, both accurate and appropriate for young kids and upper elementary grades.

For home school children and parents, there are a number of ways to teach inquiry-based learning at home. Asking open-ended questions ("what do you notice?") and allow for trial and error without providing direct answers.

I remember when I was teaching preschool and playtime at the block center was very popular. All the kids loved to build tall towers and knock them over. I loved this time with my students because it gave me the chance to get down on the carpet with them (hence my arthritis knee today, lol) and create different buildings like we were architects. I often asked them to build something that a car could ride over, or show me what a bridge looks like? They were so eager to build and compete with each other.

Using the "5E model" (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate) guides the student/child. If a child was stuck on a part, I would ask, "if you added or took one piece away, how would it look then, or what would happen to it?"

This prompted the child to make their own changes and end up with a completely different tower, or flat shape, etc.

The conversations usually ended up with small groups of children helping each other so that no one was knocking down the blocks but helping each other build taller more sturdy ones through their curious and busy nature.

Each child adding one more piece to the huge tower and before we knew, we were taking pictures for our bulletin board to show the creation of all the students helping standing next to the finished project. A simple question on how to do something resulted in team work and many happy faces later!

III. In Parenting this month, I'm taking a dive into when we need to listen as we let kids ask the hard questions and what tips we can use for responding honestly while keeping explanations age-appropriate.

Let's face it, kids do say the darndest things! From their mouths to our ears, we must react and process anything and everything with grace and patience! Allowing our kids and grandkids to build our trust by knowing they will not be embarrassed or ridiculed for asking. Turning to an adult they know and trust fosters a solid and safe resource that is necessary as they grow up and become independent.

When interacting with a hard question from your child or other special young person in your life, it is important to be of calm and sound mindset with no anxiety. I remember when I was young ( I am the "baby" of five) and I wanted to know "things" and my Dad would say, "I have to get back to you on that," when I caught him off guard with a question he either could not or did not want to answer.

When kids ask the hard questions, no matter what the subject matter is (relationships, sex, family dynamics, divorce, money, death, etc) they are most likely looking for a form of validation when they are uncertain of a situation they feel they need some information on. Sometimes kids talk at school and other families may be going through difficulty so it is natural that your child starts wondering if the same thing will happen in their family. Being honest and truthful to their appropriate age will gain respect and confidence for them to continue asking tough questions in the future.

It is also absolutely okay to admit when you just "don't know" by saying that and telling your child adults don't always have the answers all the time when we need them. Sometimes it's better to re-visit a difficult area for a time when more information can be obtained or when emotions are in a better place.

I remember when my Mom was dying of Ovarian Cancer at age forty-six, when I was fourteen. I was pretty much kept out of the loop for fear that my schooling would suffer. I remember asking about treatments and when she would get well but those questions could not be answered. When my grandparents came to "live" with us during the last few months before my Mom passed, I knew then that things were taking a different turn. They usually only stayed for ten days then went on to visit other relatives.

Asking about death and how that affects a family is not easy but in a child's mind, they are using their instincts while expanding in their own analytical and growing brain. Having a secure basis for which to go consult and confer with an adult who comforts and trusts is the bottom line when it comes to facing the tough questions.

This month, a family activity to help with story ideas on the basis of Questions could be to create and share a "Question Jar" so each family member can add their ideas to help. A plastic jar with a lid and strips of construction paper to write questions can bring about not only conversations but ideas for stories about dealing with those difficult questions.

Question Jar ?

That's a wrap, as they say in Hollywood! Stay safe and join the blog again in April when I'll be writing about "Observation and Detail." Peace, Love, Joy and many blessings to you for a happy month ahead!