How to Develop Curiosity and Student Engagement in Online School

December 9, 2025 by Valerie Kirk

5 min to read

A young student is wearing headphones while interacting with his tablet

Think about the last time your student read a book, watched a movie, or engaged in a conversation that sparked their curiosity. Did they perk up? Did they remain focused and attentive?  

When students learn about something that ignites their curiosity, they are more likely to retain information, making curiosity a key strategy for engaging students in learning.

Student Engagement Strategies: Inspire by Using Curiosity

Teachers, parents, and Learning Coaches of online school students know how crucial it is to inspire curiosity every day so they can keep students engaged with what they’re learning. Here’s how you can inspire your students to be more curiosity in school and beyond: 

Be Curious Yourself

Curiosity is contagious. One way to inspire curiosity in kids is to have an inquisitive attitude yourself and share those experiences with your students in real time.

Watching you experience new things with open curiosity can show your child that being curious is an active pursuit. In the process, you might inspire your student to tackle new subjects, try new extracurricular activities, and persevere through the initial discomfort that often comes with learning something unfamiliar. 

Show Real-World Exploration

To encourage your child to be interested in exploring the world around them, demonstrate your own interest by trying a new sport, starting a new hobby, or enrolling in an online course. When you come across something you don’t know, ask questions aloud and let them see your process of discovering the answer. This will not only encourage your student to ask questions in their daily life but also how to find solutions.

Ask Open-Ended Questions

While it is a teacher’s job to focus on student classroom engagement strategies, families can help bring the same learning mindset outside of the classroom by asking open-ended questions. By phrasing questions in a way that cannot be easily answered with a simple “yes” or “no,” you can encourage your student to think more deeply.

Open-ended questions can begin with phrases like: 

What do you think would happen if…

What do you imagine it would it be like to…

Why do you think…

How do we know that…

What did you think when…

By asking them what they think, you can take the pressure off them having to know the correct answer. Instead, you can extend the conversation by asking them why they think the way they do. By asking them to explain their thought process, you show your own curiosity while helping them to think about a situation beyond the surface level.

Foster Discussion and Reflection

Families can encourage their children to become more curious and engaged in learning by giving them space to think about a topic critically and from multiple perspectives. A great way to help students feel welcome to discuss their ideas is to give them time to reflect on what they are learning. Scheduling breaks between classes or before and after they start their homework can give them a chance to step back and discover if there are things they still have questions about. Try asking them questions about what they are learning about to begin a discussion about the questions they have.

Alternatively, give students time to reach out to their classmates if they can discuss what they are learning about. Oftentimes, hearing a different opinion can encourage them to think about why they think a certain way or inspire them to see the learning material from a new perspective.

Practice and Encourage Active Listening

Of course, great questions are pointless if no one is listening. When you actively listen to your student, you're also demonstrating how they can live curiously, communicate more effectively, and show that they care about what someone else has to say.

You can help your student become a more curious and active listener by:

Keeping the conversation focused on exploring an idea instead of trying to guide them toward a specific answer

Showing your student you’re listening by paraphrasing their comments back to them, such as, “When you said you were bored in class, it sounds like you don’t feel engaged and challenged.”

Giving your child praise can be a great way to encourage learning and curiosity. Phrases like, “I really saw you using your imagination! Good job on thinking outside the box!” can help students feel like their hard work is being noticed.

Present Information in Manageable Segments

Now that you've piqued your student's curiosity, don't risk killing it with information overload.

Break down large bits of information into smaller chunks to reduce stress, which can improve how much information your student retains.

You can chunk information into more digestible segments by:

Grouping similar pieces of information together to create a common thread that can link information together

Creating acronyms or phrases to create a list like ROYGBIV for the colors of the rainbow or “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos” for the planets in the solar system

Scheduling regular breaks to keep your student’s attention and give them time to adequately absorb information

Connect Learning to Your Student’s Interests

Sometimes the best way to encourage students to be more curious in school is to tap into what already interests them. You can relate "uninteresting" or difficult subjects directly to your student's interests and daily life.

For example, if your student loves soccer, ask them how they know where the ball is going to go when they kick it. Does the angle matter? The speed?

If your student likes baking or cooking, ask them to help you double or half a recipe. How would they go about ensuring everything is measured correctly.

Introducing curiosity and abstract thinking to their everyday activities can help them relate what they are learning to their lives outside of school. With the right hook to your student's interests, you can completely transform almost anything into a learning opportunity.  

Find out How Online School Is Built for Curious Students

Students are naturally curious! Explore how flexible scheduling and personalization in a K-12 online school like Connections Academy is purpose-built to keep students learning and exploring at all ages. Download our free eGuide to learn more.