Choose to be Curious Ep.# 313: Curiosity, Kids & Learning to Learn, with Elizabeth Bonawitz
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Feb 5, 2026 
Elizabeth Bonawitz, cognitive scientist and professor studying how children learn, discusses curiosity as a readiness to learn. She talks about playful tools like curiosity placemats, measuring curiosity with EEG, how questioning and prediction boost learning, and ways teaching can either stifle or spark exploration. Practical classroom and cultural implications are explored.
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Four Ways To Boost Early Curiosity
- Model wonder, ask pedagogical questions, get kids asking, and keep interactions playful.
- Use light-touch supports like printable placemats to boost curiosity at home.
Curiosity As Mise En Place
- Curiosity is the mise en place for learning that primes attention and encoding.
- Elizabeth Bonawitz says it readies the mind to learn and explore both externally and internally.
Theta Signals Readiness To Learn
- Theta EEG activation marks a brain state ready for learning and linked to reward.
- Bonawitz links higher theta when children expect new information to better subsequent learning.