“Tyrannosaurus was the biggest dinosaur but the Brachiosaurus was also very strong. The Argentinosaurus was the fastest. And they were all herbivorous.” This was not the conversation of paleontologists, or middle school students doing a unit on prehistoric reptiles. These were 4 year olds in Ms. Karina and Ms Maura’s pre-kinder classroom sharing with me their knowledge. “And did you know, that they died because huge stones killed them?” All of this while
they showed me the diorama they had made as well as art work displayed on the walls.

I left this class thinking that our youngest learners can be our most intense and playful inquirers. Not to underestimate the cognitive capacity of four year olds because of their smallness or runny noses. Their curiosity and imaginations are huge, and form the foundation for the development of intellect.