Helping Children Develop Critical Thinking
It's a rapidly changing world that we are living in. Everything is moving at jet speed. What was of any importance a year back may hold no relevance now. Everything is so dynamic in nature. All the time there are new opportunities, new challenges coming forth. It was not the same 20 years back. Things moved at a much slower pace then, but now it is not the case, so imagine what it would be like another 10 years down the line. We may be in a totally different dimension.
In such a world it becomes so imperative for our Children to be at that pace and keep up with it. So what do you all think will help groom our children for this future. There will be many things but one of the important things out of those many is enhancing their critical thinking abilities. Across the globe there are different education systems. While some are very mindful about bringing in more abilities, creativity and curiosity to the table for a child besides the formal education, but then there are many education systems who are still following the theoretical methods.
Critical Thinking is not something that a child can study, it is the ability that builds up in a child when they would come across complex situations. When they are exposed to new activities, challenges that is the time when their capabilities will enhance and grow, but if they are given a system which is cyclical and they are just following the routines these abilities will never develop in them, which can result into a lack of self-confidence when they grow up, or they would grow up and do very mechanical stuff.
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Children when they develop the ability of critical thinking they will start making sense to the information given to them or analyzing situations, doing comparisons, taking decisions. As parents and teachers we need to expand these horizons for them, give them those opportunity which will equip them to use their mental capabilities at the best levels.
Some simple ways that as Parents, Teachers, Guides, Care takers we can take to boost these abilities in our Children are;
- Encouraging their Curiosity - This is the beginning, if we do not nurture this part, the possibility is that the child may lose the enthusiasm. We all know what type of questions children can ask, some of them can blow us off and that just shows how fast their mind is working. They want to know everything. Most of the Children are full of questions, they can keep going on from one to another and they never stop. But if we continuously discourage them on this part, slowly they will go silent, which is like crucifying their abilities. This was very hilarious, when my son was very young, once he asked me. Mom when are you going to Die. I asked him why this question, so he said you always sit with Dad in the front seat of the car, so after you Die, I will make my wife sit on the front seat. And we all had a very hearty laugh. But then to think of it, Children are so innocent and so full of curiosity of when, how, what.
- Helping them to Analyze and Promote their Interest- If we notice these small babies when they start identifying things around them, everything is a wonder and they would hold it and keep staring at it in wonder. Just shows how much they want to explore. As they grow they want to understand more and more about the nature of things. Sometime back my little nephew walked in to my room when I was doing Tarot card reading. Just a 9 year old and I could see his curiosity to know what is it all about. I briefly made him understand thinking it may not sink into him much, but to my surprise he asked me back. Can you do my reading for a question that I have. I was a little amused with the kind of interest he showed. I did it for him and then the next one that came from him is. Can I also try doing this, can you teach me.
It may not be possible to always promote all their interest but by discouraging them and not giving them the understanding that curiosity will kill them, so it is important that we tend to them and make them understand.
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- Developing problem solving skills and Providing opportunities- Sometimes we need to create activities for them which will give them opportunity to think, put their minds at work and come up with solutions. When we put them small challenges in front of them and ask them for resolutions, it will boost their capabilities. Bringing real life challenges in front of them and asking them to resolve will help them put their minds at work.
- Asking them open-ended questions - When children come up with their questions, rather then giving them an immediate answer it would be good if we allow them to explore and get their answers by asking open-ended questions in return. You can give them multiple choices and ask them as to what they think will be the best solution or answer. When we leave this space for them, they will work on it and expand their abilities.
In today's age we have information more than we require and it gets complicated sometimes to decide what is right and what is not. If we can ace these challenges imagine how it would be for children. When we allow them to expand in their horizons in their growing up it will help them in their future journey of life in taking decisions, in making the right choices, able to differentiate, able to prioritize. How we mold them today and give opportunities to them will decide their future.
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Thanks for the great info here! I work with young kids and it's examples get me thinking of ways I can incorporate it into our classroom. I agree it's a much needed skill to have to prepare for our fast changing future.
Thank you @porters, I am glad you liked it
I agree with your points. Critical thinking is crucial for them to 'survive'. You have some good tips how to develop them and you made me laugh with your son asking when will you die :)
I think very often we try to avoid such questions but saying something totally silly or changing the topic hoping that they will get distracted but this is so unfair towards them. We should respect their personality and treat them with dignity. Everything can be answered in a a truthful way that would not hurt the child.
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you @delishtreats for your point of view. That's true we handle them with care and respect. Some questions may not have a answer but we need to give them some logic behind it.
Do you think technology helps? My girls love those apps and games where they have to do puzzles and such.
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Yes I feel it helps but my observation is that they get very addictive to them and also the radiation from these gadgets is not very good for them, so i personally prefer to go the non-tech way specially in their very young age
This is a wonderful post. Critical thinking is so important for intellectual health, possibly the most important natural health which makes all other health possible.
The last item, the Socratic method, was a huge teaching tool for my son and daughter. My son enjoyed the questions in response as a challenge, but my daughter often complained about not giving her a straight answer.
When my son was young he asked about the chess board and wanted to play. I told him that he first had to beat me at checkers, and I would not let him win. We played a lot of checkers after that for a short time, until he won. From then on it was chess. Next was involvement in a chess club at school, back before I realized public schools were really government indoctrination camps. In 5th grade he moved on to a new school where they didn't have a chess club. He had so looked forward to playing the kids from the other K-4 schools and was very disappointed. After visiting with the principal, he found a teacher to partner with and we began a club after school once a week. That was the beginning of a wonderful thing in my life.
I soon learned that a school chess club wasn't about chess as much as providing an opportunity for kids, some who were adrift, to be a part of something wholesome with a sharp bunch of kids, learning a lot about life and developing critical thinking schools. For some with attention problems it was a tool to correct that. For others with self control problems, it helped to achieve self-control through focusing. For many, it was an opportunity to simply learn that they were smart, like most kids, and go on to accomplish a lot. Some of the kids in the club probably never won a game, but simply enjoyed the opportunity to be part of something good. All of them learned that you never really lose at something, if you learned from the experience. I could go on and on...
Another important lesson that needs to be mentioned is the need to maintain balance in life. Some kids will tend to obsess over chess and do it all the time. For them the example of Bobby Fischer is presented. He was possibly the best chessplayer ever. However, he focused on it so much that he became insane and it eventually destroyed his life. Maintaining balance in life is every bit as important as thinking ability.
Next my son and his club-mates became involved in scholastic chess tournaments where I experienced the same good things going on across the state. They needed a new chess tournament director which became the next step in my involvement. Soon I was directing all of the large scholastic chess tournaments in Oklahoma with as many as 275 players. It felt good to be helping so many to do something that was so good for them.
My daughter also became involved in the chess club at age 9. Eventually, she and my son left for an advanced high school in their junior years and then went on to college. They became busy with other opportunities in their lives and drifted away from chess, for now. However my involvement has continued.
After 15-years, I still direct nearly all of the largest scholastic chess tournaments in my state. After the nest emptied, I continued because there's no other way for me to help so many other kids develop intellectual health. As the years go by and more my age that I'm close to pass on, its become a challenge to find others to take up this opportunity to help a lot of kids.
I encourage everyone to think about this. Do whatever you can to help as many kids a possible to develop critical thinking skills, especially now that public schools seem to be doing everything they can to destroy them. Supporting scholastic chess is one great way to do it.
Thanks @nianaztengra for the excellent message.
Wow, that's a wonderful story of your journey with Chess @ppmsilver. I was hoping to read that your children made it very big in Chess because their keen interest, but they have drifted away for other opportunities. I m sure these skills will help them in many walks of life.
You are still continuing with your passion is very good to know. Honestly I do not know this game but yes it really puts your mind at work which is the biggest strength of this game.
My best wishes for you @ppmsilver
Chess really doesn't provide much in the way of opportunities and is far more important for its personal development benefits. Yes, they did drift away toward opportunities. My son is an electrical engineer and the lead circuit board designer for a startup company in Austin, Texas that makes electronics for communications satellites. My daughter is helping set up a program to help victims of sex trafficking in Paris, France. Thanks for asking.
That's very nice to know about your family. Specially the work that your daughter is doing is very commendable. My best wishes for both of them
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Critical thinking is a very important and useful skill to have and yes, we need to encourage it in children. The problem is that the parents are the first to discourage it by imposing their belief systems and explaining things with "because I said so" when they are asked a question. Thank you for reminding people that this is something we need to have in mind very often and be careful when responding to children.
Thank you dear Petra for sharing your thoughts. Yes most of the time parents don't give that room to the children to explore and grow in their minds.