INQUIRY
Infants and toddlers are naturally curious, active learners who love to explore their environment. They use their exploration, inquiry, and/or reasoning skills whenever they observe, experiment, and investigate something in order to better understand it. For example, an infant may be using these skills when they look and point to objects and use their body to explore (e.g., scoot closer to something that interests them). Toddlers may be using these skills when trying to solve problems (e.g., reach for a toy that fell). You can support your child’s development of active exploration, inquiry, and reasoning skills by offering him plenty of opportunities, time, and space to explore and interact with his surroundings.
Birth-12 months:
- Provide objects that are appealing to infants’ senses, and encourage your baby to explore (e.g., toys that have different colors, shapes, sizes, textures, and/or sounds).
- Provide objects and materials that encourage your baby to discover how things work (e.g., ball to roll, rattle to shake, or toys with buttons to push).
- Explore nature and/or living things (e.g., pets, water, leaves, etc.).
- When playing, mimic and exaggerate your baby’s surprised face and say, “Wow! You pushed the button and the music started playing! Let’s do it again.”
- Hold a piece of an orange under your baby’s nose so that he can smell it. You might say, “Smell this! We smell with our nose (and point to your nose). Provide your baby with other things to smell.
- Model exploration during lunch: “I’m peeling your banana like this (make sure your baby is watching and use exaggerated movements). Let’s keep peeling it together!”
- Model your own observations. Say exactly what you see/observe in the moment. “I see that you are using your hands to touch the parts of your face. Now you are touching your nose!”
- Comment on your baby’s observations. If he looks at/points to an object, label it and add information. “I see you looking at the rainbow ball. Let me go get the ball so that we can play with it.” While pointing at a drum, say, “That toy is a drum. You can use the drumsticks or your hands to make cool beats.”
12-36 months:
- Explore nature and/or living things inside (e.g., garden, pets, weather, etc.).
- Create a list of items for your child to find during a walk or in the backyard.
- Gather various objects and predict whether they will sink or float in water, encouraging observation and prediction.
- Use glasses filled with varying amounts of water and have your child tap them to create different sounds, introducing the concept of sound and pitch
- Use shaving cream on a tray and let your child create different designs, encouraging creativity and fine motor skills
- Fill bins with items like sand, water, rice, or dried beans for exploration
- Ask comparison questions: “Do these two cups look the same? What happens when we put water in this one? Uh-oh, it flows right through. But on this one, the water stays.”
- Prompt your child to make thoughtful predictions. ¨ “Do you think this ball will roll down the ramp if you drop it? Give me a thumbs up or a nod if you think ‘yes!’ Let’s find out!”