The phrase “Critical thinking” often features in education manuals and policies on learning. Translating it from the page to the neurons involves creativity and smart work. As such, your child will be able to don their problem-solving hat when they are encouraged to do so on a regular basis. This can be done on two fronts- by creating a conducive environment for the same and by taking in multiple perspectives.
Firstly, any critical thinking approach can be fostered only by encouraging your child to solve the tiny problems around them. While it is definitely quicker to do some of their tasks for them, taking the extra minute (or ten) to assist them in approaching challenges differently is worth the wait. By doing this, you can also let them know that it is perfectly fine to get things wrong as long as they remain steadfast in finding a solution.
Along a similar train of thought, it is beneficial to hear out how they may do things differently. Children have a way of surprising us which can catch you off-guard and unaware. However, by valuing their perspective you as a caregiver encourage them to think out of the box more often. Besides, bringing in different perspectives about the same problem is precisely how the complexities of the 21st century can be resolved.
At Neobael, such an approach is always kept at the forefront. For instance, our module “What would that habitat sound like?” encourages learners to think of animals as part of a larger ecosystem. By curating the soundtracks to their own nature documentaries, they are challenged to think through multiple steps and combine several subjects for a true test of critical thinking.
