Children learn best when they question, collaborate and actively engage with ideasLast updated: June 03, 2026 | 10:273 MIN READChildren make sense of ideas when they discuss them, challenge them, apply them, and connect them to their own experiences. PixabayLast week, at a community learning event for children, I witnessed something that many adults would probably consider a success. I saw it as a missed opportunity.The room was alive with excitement. Children were chatting, laughing, and eagerly asking one another what the session would be about. Some were sharing stories from previous weeks. Others were wondering whether there would be activities after the talk. They had arrived curious, energetic, and ready to engage. Then, before the session even began, a voice interrupted the room: “Quiet please. No talking. We are here to listen.”Within seconds, the atmosphere changed. The smiles faded. The conversations stopped. The children sat silently in their seats. Order had been restored.But had learning begun?For generations, many of us have associated silence with learning. A quiet classroom is often seen as a productive classroom. A child who listens attentively is often viewed as a successful learner. Yet some of the richest learning experiences are anything but silent. They are filled with questions, discussion, experimentation, collaboration, and sometimes even productive chaos. Children do not learn best by simply listening. They learn best by participating.Making sense of ideasListening certainly has its place. Every child should learn how to listen respectfully and attentively. However, listening alone does not guarantee understanding. Children make sense of ideas when they discuss them, challenge them, apply them, and connect them to their own experiences. Learning is not something that can simply be transferred from one person to another. It is something that children actively construct.This reality is becoming increasingly important as schools grapple with the growing influence of artificial intelligence. When information can be accessed instantly and essays can be generated within seconds, the question is no longer simply what students know. The more important question is how they demonstrate what they know. In an age where information is abundant, creativity, critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving become even more valuable.This requires us to rethink not only assessment, but also the role of educators. For too long, education has often been built around a teacher-centred model in which knowledge is delivered and students are expected to absorb it. Yet information has never been more accessible. The role of educators today is less about transmitting knowledge and more about creating the conditions in which learning can flourish. We are designers of experiences, facilitators of inquiry, and guides who help children make meaning of the world around them.Capturing the attention of childrenJust as importantly, we must capture children’s interest before we expect their attention. Curiosity is the engine of learning. A powerful question, a real-world challenge, an intriguing story, or a meaningful problem can engage children far more effectively than a demand for silence. The goal should not be to suppress children’s natural energy and curiosity, but to channel it into purposeful learning.When we do this, we begin to see that learning can be demonstrated in countless ways. Some children express understanding through writing. Others through storytelling, debate, design, performance, building, coding, filmmaking, community projects, artistic expression, or an interesting activity. These approaches do more than assess knowledge. They reveal creativity, character, collaboration, and individuality. They allow children to bring their unique identities, talents, and interests into the learning process.As I think back to those children at the community learning event, I cannot help but wonder what might have happened if they had been invited not simply to listen, but to create. What if a science lesson ended with students designing solutions for local environmental challenges? What if history was demonstrated through documentaries, interviews, and exhibitions rather than memorised dates? What if children could reveal their understanding through storytelling, performance, community action, podcasts, inventions, art, or entrepreneurship?Perhaps the question is not how to keep children silent and compliant. Perhaps it is whether we have given them enough opportunities to show us what they can do.Bernadette Guirguis is Assistant Professor, Zayed UniversityRelated Topics:Get Updates on Topics You ChooseUp Next