Inquisitive Kids
"Why do we dream some nights and not other nights?"
"If you are walking and tossing a ball, why does the ball stay with you?"
"Why aren't spiders insects?"
The questions keep coming from Highlights readers. And each question receives a personal response.
Some of the letters are published with answers in the magazine's "Science Letters" feature, which now appears monthly in Highlights.
"Everyone begins as a natural scientist," says Highlights Science Editor Andy Boyles. "Just watch a baby in a high chair dropping things to see what happens—first the spoon, then the cup, then the peas. Each one is an experiment, and the baby trusts his or her own observations to draw conclusions about the world.
"Somewhere along the line most of us lose that trust in our ability to observe, experiment, and draw conclusions for ourselves. Through features such as 'Science Letters,' Highlights is trying to keep that spirit alive."
The number of science questions received from readers has increased in the past few years, since the frequency of publishing "Science Letters" in the magazine increased to every issue. Approximately 400 science questions have been received so far this year.
More science questions and answers are also available on HighlightsKids.com, the magazine's free Web site for kids.
"We want to show our readers that this kind of questioning is a natural way to think, but one that requires some practice and attentiveness to one's surroundings," Boyles explains. "Showing that lots of other kids are asking questions all the time is a great way to make the point."
The questions come from kids of all elementary-school ages. Boyles says some of the most stimulating letters come from readers who are so young that their parents have to write the questions down for them.
"We choose letters on a variety of topics for publication, hoping to capture each reader's attention with one letter or another," Boyles says. "And we hope the reader will stay on the page for a few moments—maybe long enough to discover that they also are interested in questions on other topics."