I am rather sure of the fact the some of the kids in my class (especially the big ones) want to throw up if I start my speech on thinking for ourselves, not waiting to be spoonfed, doing extra work even if the teacher did not say so blah blah blah
I am quite certain only a few of them listens to me, but I am getting the idea that a lot of kids and their parents are still stuck in an era where they are only worried about what the teacher or the book says and going through life without figuring things out, thinking further than what their noses are long and feeling comfortable in asking questions, making mistakes and learning as they go along.
So I am asking you as parents, having the important job of raising a child.....PLEASE TEACH YOUR CHILD TO THINK CRYTICALLY....
What is crytical thinking?
These are different skills that we have to solve problems and figure things out. It is the ability to evaluate a situation or information and decide if it is right or wrong. It also means you are open minded and can look at something from different angles.
For children to get good at thinking, they must believe that thinking is fun and there is a whole world waiting to be discovered. Good thinkers practice it in the same way they practice sport and parents can use different situations to trigger thinking. (It is difficult for parents to teach their children to think for themselves is they themselves are not open minded, or believe in learning through mistakes but rather expect perfect little soldiers).
There are three ways in which children typically think
How can I help my kids to think critically?
- let them be comfortable in asking questions (there is no such thing as a stupid question). Make them realize that through asking questions and making mistakes they will learn
- teach your child to make sure that something is accurate by researching the facts
- help children to stay on topic and ask question on the related topic, by linking certain questions to a specific topic
- help your child to explain how they came to a certain conclusion or why they made a specific decision on something
- set expectations that is fair to your child (do not expect miracles....we are all just human)
Children (and adults) can benefit from thinking critically. Here are some ways to improve this skill
For fun you can do some brainteasers on https://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2012/11/06/10-brainteasers-to-stretch-your-brain/#28eb1a871ded
