How can we help children develop critical thinking and learn to argue their case?
If there's one skill we can teach children to use both in and out of school, it's critical thinking. In a world saturated with information and a multitude of opinions, the ability to analyse, evaluate, and form one's own viewpoint is more important than ever. Critical thinking is a way of thinking in which a person asks questions, seeks evidence, and considers different perspectives before reaching a conclusion.
While spoken and written language are tools for communication, critical thinking is the engine that drives them. It's the foundation of the ability to argue a case, have a meaningful dialogue, and construct well-reasoned texts. This isn't an innate skill, but something that can be developed through various activities, such as games and focused conversations.
How to Tell if a Child Needs Help
- Difficulty making decisions: The child hesitates even over simple choices or relies only on the opinions of others.
- Accepting everything as truth: When they hear information from an adult or from the internet, they don't ask questions and accept it as absolute truth.
- Difficulties at school: They make mistakes not due to a lack of knowledge, but because they can't analyse the requirements of a task or understand the connection between different facts.
- One-sided thinking: The child defends their position without paying attention to counter-arguments and without trying to understand the other point of view.
- Using weak arguments: When they try to argue, they use phrases like "it just is" or "everyone says so," without being able to provide specific evidence.
Games and Activities to Develop Critical Thinking
- "Facts versus opinions": As the child reads or watches the news, they can try to distinguish between facts (something that can be proven) and opinions (a personal belief). For example: "The sun rises in the east" is a fact, while "Blue is the nicest colour" is an opinion.
- "The question game": When the child expresses an opinion, ask them questions like: "Why do you think that?" If they say a game is the best, ask them: "What about it makes it the best?" or "What other game is similar and how are they different?"
- "Debates at home": Choose a fun topic like: "Which season is nicer - summer or winter?" Each person defends their position, taking turns and putting forward arguments to support their opinion. The goal isn't to win, but to learn how to structure an argument.
- "What happens if...?": This game develops cause-and-effect thinking. Start with a situation: "What will happen if we all stop using plastic?" The child can list the possible consequences, both good and bad.
Encouraging Dialogue
- Ask the child questions, think out loud, and share your own thoughts on a given topic. The goal is to show the child that it's normal not to know the answer to everything and that it's important to seek information.
- Even if you don't agree with the child, never dismiss their point of view. Show that you understand it before suggesting an alternative.
- Talk about characters in stories - why did they act a certain way? Could they have acted differently? This helps the child see that every action has a cause and effect.
Critical thinking is a journey, not a destination. With patience and the right methods, you will help your child become not just a consumer of information, but an active participant in the world around them.
by Aleksandra Dimitrova