Teachers spark brains by nurturing curiosity.
When children ask “why?”, explore new ideas, or follow their wonder, they’re activating brain pathways that support memory, reasoning, and deeper thinking. Curiosity triggers the release of dopamine — the brain’s natural motivator — helping children stay focused, engaged, and ready to learn. The more they engage their curiosity, the stronger these pathways become.
“Children ask about 40,000 questions between ages 2-5—each one an opportunity for brain growth.”
In early learning services and classrooms, teachers are experts at noticing and extending these moments of wonder. Through open-ended questions like “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why do you think that is?”, they encourage children to investigate, predict, and make connections. These teaching moments strengthen the prefrontal cortex (for planning and reasoning), the hippocampus (for memory), and the brain’s reward system (which fuels motivation and engagement).
New Zealand’s Education Review Office (ERO) highlights that when teachers nurture curiosity through inquiry-based teaching, students not only stay more engaged, but achieve deeper understanding and stronger learning outcomes — particularly when learning is hands-on, exploratory, and question-driven.
Teachers don’t simply deliver knowledge — they help shape how children learn to think. Every question answered is building the brain’s architecture for reasoning, creativity, and independent thought. When curiosity is nurtured, the brain grows stronger.
Teaching shapes what matters most.