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We use critical thinking throughout our daily lives in order to solve problems and make good decisions. It can be a tricky concept for children to grasp and they are often more comfortable looking to grown-ups to give them the answers. However, developing the capacity for critical thinking is vital to ensure that children learn how to navigate life independently, succeed academically and learn that there are consequences to their actions. To help you teach your child to develop their critical thinking skills, an independent school in Oxfordshire has shared the following tips.
Open Ended Questions
By asking your child open ended questions you encourage them to weigh up the situation and sift through their existing knowledge to provide an answer, it inspires them to use their imagination and creativity to reach a conclusion. Regardless of whether the answer they arrive at is correct or not, the process of trying to work it out for themselves develops their ability to think critically about different topics. Use their curiosity as a guide and when they ask you questions try to get them to explain what they think the answer might be and why, this encourages them to think deeply instead of just relying on you to provide an answer.
Problem Solving
When your child is struggling with something your first instinct may be to swoop in to rescue them. Although this is of course necessary in some situations in order to keep your child safe, experiencing some difficulties is actually beneficial in the long run. If your child is left to solve a problem alone they will have to rely on their own resources to do so, using their own knowledge and imagination to come up with a solution. The more your child becomes familiar with solving problems independently the more confidence they will have in their own ability to solve future difficulties they face.
Encourage Reflection
Reflection encourages children to think on a higher level and strengthens knowledge and understanding. If your child has made a mistake or behaved badly, reflection can help them understand why they acted as they did and the consequences of their actions. This can help children alter their behaviour in the future as reflection encourages them to not only recount the scenario but to explain what they have learned from it. Reflection promotes deeper understanding and insight and is a great tool to promote critical thinking in children.
