“If it’s on the Internet it must be true.”
Adults say this tongue in cheek. But for kids, learning to distinguish reliable from unreliable sources is one reason critical thinking skills matter. And while you might believe teaching critical thinking belongs in the classroom, there are ways you can play a role in improving your child’s discernment.
Critical thinking can broken down into key components, among them: identifying assumptions, evaluating context, and exploring alternatives. Opportunities to draw on each of these skills occur in everyday life, providing many teachable moments.
– Identifying assumptions. When you find yourself telling your child, “see, that wasn’t so bad,” you’re pointing out false assumptions. Take a moment to ask your child what they believed about the situation beforehand. Ask whether they were correct or incorrect. Later when you catch them assuming something, remind them how they might be mistaken.
– Evaluating context. Starting at a young age we naturally coach children about context. Inside voice/outside voice is a perfect example. To be proactive, you can turn context evaluation into a game. Ask your child to decide when it would be a good time for something (playing the piano in the afternoon, or after your brother goes to bed), what an appropriate place would be (dancing in a crowded restaurant or in the family room), or what a fitting tool would be (make a building out of shoeboxes or crystal bowls).
– Exploring alternatives. You probably help your child do this multiple times each day without realizing it. If you’re out of juice at breakfast time, you might ask your child whether she wants milk or water instead. When he can’t fit a puzzle piece, you point out two others on the table that might work. Rather than solving problems for your child, you can improve her critical thinking by encouraging her to evaluate the available options. Take the opportunity to discuss how sometimes one choice surpasses another, while on other occasions it doesn’t matter.
By weaving critical thinking lessons into normal interactions, you will help your child become a better decision maker, goal setter, and problem solver.
