Critical thinking involves the ability to sort, classify, break an idea into parts and analyze a situation. Depending on his age, your child’s world may not extend beyond toys or school, but he still has the ability to practice critical thinking. You can help to foster his skills and demonstrate your own critical thinking skills.
Step 1
Encourage your child to participate in physical activity. This can be in the form of organized competitive sports or simply physical activity in her free time. According to the American Diabetic Association, moderate to vigorous activity helps to improve critical thinking skills and test scores.
Step 2
Explore websites and watch television shows with your child. Question where website information comes from, and encourage your child to find out in order to determine if the website is reputable. While watching television shows, have him determine if all opinions are represented.
Step 3
Allow her to make some decisions on her own. Depending on what is appropriate for her age, she can decide which outfit to wear, which snack to eat or which friend to play with. Afterward, ask her about her decisions. Have her explain the outcome and ask if she would have done anything differently.
Step 4
Encourage him to play with others as often as possible, such as siblings or neighborhood friends. By encouraging him to work or play in a group, he gets experience with problem solving and differing opinions.
Step 5
Ask her a lot of questions throughout the day. You can ask her how to sort her toys or how a block structure would look different if she used other blocks. Ask her to compare how things are alike or different or how many different ways there are to do one thing. Scholastic Parents recommends that you also ask open-ended questions that have no one right answer, such as “What do you think about this?” This allows your child to think and answer creatively.
Step 6
Demonstrate critical thinking. Think out loud when you're trying to decide the best way to do something–and describe your thought process. This allows your child to observe your critical thinking skills and implement them.
Tips and Warnings
- Duke University states that your child’s personality and interests are important in fostering critical thinking skills. Consider her individuality before encouraging her critical thinking skills so you can make your time more effective.
