The Power of “I Wonder” in Early Childhood

May 12

Reflections from a day at nature school

There’s a moment that happens almost every day in our time together, simple, quiet, and easy to pass by if we’re not paying attention. A child stops, looks closely, and asks:

“Why does this leaf have holes?”
“Where are the ants going?”
“Why is this stick shaped like that?”

And instead of answering, you’ll often hear a teacher say softly:
“Hmm… I wonder.”

Not as a deflection but as an invitation.

Staying with the Question

It can feel so natural to give children answers. We want to support them, to teach them, to share what we know. But something shifts when we pause and respond with “I wonder…” instead.

The question stays open.

The child doesn’t move on, they lean in.

They start to think, to notice more, to test ideas. They might follow the ants, turn the leaf over, compare it to another. The learning deepens, simply because we didn’t rush to close the loop.

We’re not holding back information, we’re giving curiosity room to grow.

A Different Kind of Teaching

At All Friends, teaching doesn’t always look like telling. It often looks like sitting beside a child and wondering with them.

“I wonder why that happened.”
“I wonder what you’re noticing.”
“I wonder what might happen next.”

These small moments build something bigger over time. Children begin to take on that language themselves:

“I wonder if this will float.”
“I wonder what’s under here.”

And just like that, curiosity becomes part of the culture.

Letting the Environment Lead

What I love most about this practice is how it keeps children in relationship with the world around them.

Instead of pulling them out of the moment with an explanation, it gently nudges them back in. Back to the ants, the leaves, the shifting light, the feel of the ground beneath them.

The environment becomes the teacher, and we are simply there to guide the process.

Slowing Down Together

There is a different rhythm that comes with this way of being.

We kneel down more.
We pause more.
We notice more.

And in that slowing down, something magical happens. Children build focus. They learn to stay with something. They experience the satisfaction of figuring things out, or even just continuing to wonder.

Trusting the Process

This way of teaching asks something of us as adults. It asks us to be comfortable not always giving the answer. To trust that the child is capable. To trust that the moment itself holds value.

And truly, it does.

Because what we are supporting isn’t just knowledge, it's how children think, how they approach the world, how they stay curious.

Why It Matters

Right now, so much of children’s lives are structured, fast-paced, and often screen-based. Opportunities to wonder, to really sit with a question, are fewer than they used to be.

But this is where so much development lives: