In his New York Times article, “The Truck Gene”, Peter Klass M.D. reminisces about his young child’s interest in Trucks. Link to Article

Some children have an obsessive interest in a particular topic, such as trucks, dinosaurs, and trains.  When a child develops an intense interest, Klauss argues, “it should bring on that mildly bemused parental headshaking sense that each child is an individual, with a remarkable, fascinating individual brain.”

The Reggio educational approach encourages educators to use childrens’ interest as a base to frame academic inquiry.  But what about children who don’t show such intense interests?  What do we base inquires on?  The Waldorf approach encourages teachers and parents to teach and pass-down what they found interesting and memorable as children; suggesting the children too will find these topics engaging.  When you teach your children what you loved, you are perpetuating the tradition, you are participating in the initiation.