🌱 The Power of Curiosity: How to Make Critical Thinking Visible

vanessa speigle
7 hours ago
2 min read

🪴 When Curiosity Slows the Classroom Down

When was the last time curiosity slowed your classroom down and made students think deeper instead of faster?

I remember a student once stopping mid-lesson and asking, “But how do we know the plant is alive if it doesn’t move?” The room went quiet. That one question changed everything. Students leaned in. Ideas tumbled out. We didn’t just finish the lesson, we re-imagined it.

That moment, when curiosity leads the way, is where critical thinking truly begins.

💡 Rekla Insight: Curiosity Is the Root of Critical Thinking

In Finnish-inspired classrooms, curiosity isn’t a distraction, it’s the beginning of learning.

Kenya’s CBC echoes this truth by naming Creativity & Critical Thinking as one of its seven core competencies. When we create space for curiosity, we invite students to observe, connect, and reason.

Curiosity builds calm confidence; the courage to think independently.

A thoughtful student holding a pencil and looking upward, symbolizing curiosity and reflective thinking in a Finnish-inspired CBC classroom.

“In Finland, students learn to wonder before they learn to answer.”

🧩 Practical Classroom Routines: Making Thinking Visible

Routine	What It Looks Like	Rekla Connection
See–Think–Wonder	Students slow down and describe what they notice before analyzing.	Encourages reflection before conclusion.
Claim–Support–Question	Students state an idea, provide evidence, and ask one new question.	Builds reasoning through dialogue.
Chalk Talk	Silent brainstorming where ideas grow visually.	Promotes inclusion and deeper thought.
Think–Pair–Share (Reflective Twist)	Add one final written reflection after the pair share.	Reinforces self-awareness and peer learning.

🪴 Each of these routines builds trust and students realize their thinking has value.

📚 Research & Pedagogical Connections

OECD (2019): curiosity and inquiry drive motivation and cognitive flexibility.
Finnish National Core Curriculum (2016): critical thinking develops through reflective dialogue, not testing.
Immordino-Yang (2007): curiosity and emotion activate learning centers in the brain, improving memory and problem-solving.

These studies remind us: curiosity isn’t “extra.” It’s the foundation of deep, lasting learning.

When curiosity leads, confidence follows. Critical thinking isn’t about right answers, it’s about learning to look closer. What looks like a “detour” is often the most meaningful part of the journey. Curiosity isn’t off-task behavior, it’s learning in motion.