After seven months of inescapable rain here in Oregon, the warm sun has emerged and blossoms have burst forth. Nature's reawakening leaves us wondering how the dogwoods and magnolias can triumph over the soggy soil. The physical world is a source of curiosity for many, and making sense of it is a lifelong challenge.

Children are born curious. Some more than others, but all are inclined to poke, prod, inspect, and inquire. Most ask tons of questions, beginning with the universal "What's that?" Encouraging curiosity can be challenging for some parents, though, because curiosity leads to exploration and exploration can be messy, or even a nuisance. But it's well worth it to encourage kids' inquisitiveness.

"If children are restricted too much or told not to ask so many questions, their curiosity will diminish," notes developmental neuroscientist Bruce Perry in Early Childhood Today. "The less-curious child is harder to teach because he is harder to inspire, enthuse, and motivate. A less-curious child will make fewer friends, join fewer social groups, and read fewer books."

In 1995, Multnomah County Library was turned on to the value of asking questions when we took part in the national rollout of the Vermont Center for the Book's "Mother Goose Asks 'Why?'" (MGAW) program. MGAW teaches parents and caregivers how to use picture books and the language of science—questions—to promote children's active learning and problem solving.

Instead of feeding kids facts and hard knowledge, MGAW introduces families to hands-on, inquiry-based learning: "Do I have enough gas to get home?" "Will this jacket be warm enough?" "Will my tomatoes ripen before the rains begin again?" We are all everyday scientists.

Considering how much things have changed in our own lifetimes, it's impossible for us to anticipate the facts that children will need to know 20 years from now. We can, however, help them develop skills to gather and assess information, and solve the problems they'll encounter.

Called the "process skills of science," these aren't baffling science skills, but very important life skills that initiate learning: asking questions, making observations, investigating, making predictions, experimenting, finding patterns and relationships, and drawing conclusions.

For those familiar with "Every Child Ready to Read," a joint venture of the Public Library Association and the Association for Library Service to children, these skills should sound natural. Our objective in commenting and asking questions of children while reading aloud is to encourage language development, but the result of having conversations is the same—children learn to reflect, reason, and learn. It's these interactions with adults that encourage youngsters to be curious and capable learners.

Storytime provides a great opportunity to introduce children to the wonders of science. In Harriet Ziefert's Bear Gets Dressed (Harper & Row, 1986), toddlers must decide which outfit to wear outdoors after observing the weather. And in Pamela Allen's Who Sank the Boat? (Coward-McCann, 1985), they can judge more or less, shorter or taller, and heavier or lighter. Certainly nonfiction books introduce children to new ideas and facts that expand their worlds. They love to guess the animal mothers in Jennifer Schofield's Animal Babies in Ponds and Rivers (Kingfisher, 2004). One great way to spark a science discussion is to follow up with a question, such as, "What have you noticed about birds?" or "How can you tell that it's spring?"

The scientific process comes naturally to young children. Our task is to pique their curiosity through engaging books and conversation. Children who are given positive attention and encouragement for asking questions will stay curious, and ultimately they will always find joy in learning.