Why Awe Makes Kids Better Learners

(Before You Teach Anything)

Most parents focus on how to teach their kids.

Better explanations.
More patience.
Clearer instructions.

But research suggests something surprising:

Learning doesn’t start with information.
It starts with mental readiness.

And awe may be one of the most effective ways to create it.

According to The Science of Awe, awe is uniquely suited to prepare the brain to absorb new ideas—before instruction ever begins.

Learning Isn’t Just About Focus — It’s About Openness

When kids struggle to learn, we often assume:

• They aren’t paying attention

• They’re distracted

• They’re resistant

But the science of awe points to a different bottleneck.

Awe temporarily shifts the brain into a state of:

• Reduced self-focus

• Increased curiosity

• Greater cognitive flexibility

In plain language:
Awe softens the mind.

It moves kids out of “I already know” or “I can’t do this” and into:

“Wait… tell me more.”

That shift matters more than we realize.

The “Accommodation” Effect (Why Awe Comes First)

Researchers describe awe as involving a need for accommodation—a moment when the brain realizes its current understanding isn’t enough and needs to expand.

That’s the exact mental state learning requires.

Not pressure.
Not repetition.
Not correction.

Expansion.

When awe is present:

• Kids are more willing to revise assumptions

• They’re less defensive about being wrong

• They ask better questions

Awe doesn’t deliver answers. It makes room for them.

Why This Matters for Kids Ages 5–9

Early elementary years are when learning quietly shifts:

• From curiosity-driven

• To performance-driven

Grades, speed, comparison, and correctness start to creep in.

Awe acts as a counterweight.

Research summarized by the Greater Good Science Center shows that awe:

• Increases exploratory thinking

• Encourages information-seeking

• Promotes deeper engagement with complex ideas

In other words, awe doesn’t compete with learning.

It primes it.

Awe vs. Motivation (They’re Not the Same)

Motivation pushes from the outside:

• Rewards

• Praise

• Consequences

Awe pulls from the inside.

It creates a natural desire to understand—not to finish, perform, or comply.

That’s why awe is especially powerful before:

• Reading time

• Homework

• Museum visits

• Science lessons

• Big conversations

You don’t need awe all the time.

You need it at the threshold.

A Simple Practice: Lead With Awe

Here’s a research-aligned way to use awe at home this week.

The “Before We Begin” Pause

Before teaching or explaining anything, take 60 seconds.

Do one of the following:

• Look at something vast (sky, map, photo, diagram)

• Notice a surprising pattern

• Ask a scale-stretching question

Examples:

• “Did you know this goes on farther than we can see?”

• “Isn’t it wild that this exists at all?”

• “I wonder how long this has been here.”

Then stop.

Let awe do the work before instruction starts.

What Changes When You Do This Consistently

Parents often report:

• Fewer power struggles

• More follow-up questions

• Longer attention without forcing it

• Less fear of being wrong

That aligns with the research.

Awe doesn’t speed learning up.
It deepens it.

And depth compounds.

The Takeaway

If learning feels hard, the answer isn’t always more effort.

Sometimes the missing step is wonder first.

Awe isn’t fluff.
It’s infrastructure.

And when kids experience awe regularly, learning becomes something they enter—rather than something they endure.

Next post:
Why awe reverses the curiosity drop most kids experience by age 8.