Critical thinking is one of the essential life skills, that when practiced early, will help children fare better in the future. Here are ways a Daycare Center in Pasadena, Maryland, or a parent like you can guide young ones to be a critical thinker:
- Let them play.
Playing is how kids learn and subconsciously develop critical thinking. Informally, play allows them to explore cause and effect. Make sure to provide your children with outdoor and indoor spaces for playing.
- Pause and wait.
Observe your children’s response to tasks. How will they get things done? Give them ample time to think while silently counting to 60 so they can reflect on or perhaps, refine their response.
- Don’t intervene immediately.
Easy to say, but a Child Care Centre Pasadena Maryland recommends that you count even longer than 60 to 120 or beyond so you can avoid intervening. For younger children, attempting to grasp toys helps them improve their executive functioning skills.
- Ask open-ended questions.
For older ones, ask only a few critical questions along the way, so they don’t get frustrated solving a problem. Do not automatically give answers to their questions.
- Help them develop hypotheses.
Let them form theories by asking questions such as, “What happens next if we do this?” Let them predict things.
- Encourage different forms of thinking.
Allow them to think differently to help them hone their problem-solving skills. However, there may be times where it helps that you model their critical thinking by verbalizing what’s in their mind as they go through the decision-making process.
Severna Park Children’s Centre, Inc., a Learning Center Maryland, is here to help you cultivate this skill in your children.
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