My son Jordan has always loved reading. I am an avid reader myself, so this made me so happy. But when I realized that reading can help Jordan develop critical thinking skills, I was even more committed to supporting him.
Together, we visit our local library at least once a week to stock up on books. He is also excited that he’s old enough now to check out two books at his school’s library instead of only one. Going to the libraries has made him more responsible and also helped him figure out interests he can pursue in everyday life.
Just recently, we checked out a book called, “Think Like a Voter.” It was the perfect book for us to read together with the upcoming election. Even though he is only 9 years old, he understands the importance of elections and voting — and I’m sure it’s helping him build the ability to think critically.
You may think your child is too young to understand what is going on in our world, but they are already developing their own ideas and beliefs — even at an early age. It’s important for us as parents to help them with this. Reading books that introduce our kids to a wide variety of subject matters helps them build analytical skills for the future.
Here, I share some things to think about as you’re cultivating critical thinking in your own family. I’ve also added helpful parent tips to try along the way, with ideas about critical thinking I learned from Scholastic.com and Michigan State University Child & Family Development.
What is critical thinking?
Merriam-Webster defines critical thinking as, “The act or practice of thinking critically (as applying reason and questioning assumptions) in order to solve problems, evaluate information, discern biases, etc.”
Critical thinking helps children make good decisions and understand the consequences of their actions, according to Michigan State University Extension Child & Family Development. When children are young, like Jordan, they have a natural curiosity that becomes a solid platform for critical thinking.
- Parent tip: One of the best ways to spark critical thinking is to ask open-ended questions. Do this every day. For example, when my son gets in the car, I always ask him how school was. Since that question just gets a quick, “it was good,” I try to follow up with an open-ended question such as, “What did you see today that you thought was fair or unfair?” This helps them to start thinking critically about civic values.
Why is critical thinking important?
For kids, critical thinking is important because it’s used to solve problems — and use focus and self-control to meet goals, both personal and school-related. When children read, they are challenged by new ideas, all of which they must synthesize and evaluate in order to fully understand.
I like to think about Jordan’s brain like I’d think about a library. It’s full of information and adding new pieces all the time. Jordan’s good critical thinking abilities help him compare what he’s learning to what he already knows — even updating and changing incorrect or outdated information.
- Parent tip: The next time your child asks “why,” offer to research the answer together. Then go to your local library and find a book that helps explain the answer. Or, if you choose to search the internet, find several answers and discuss what the different answers mean, and how you can determine which is relevant to what situations.
How can we help our children become critical thinkers?
One of the best ways to encourage our children to become critical thinkers is to ask them open-ended questions that will help them develop their own opinions based on the knowledge they already have. Also, your child may gain knowledge from reading, so it goes hand in hand.
- Parent tip: Another way to spark critical thinking is to make decisions. Have your child make a list of pros and cons about a specific decision they need to make. Afterwards, ask your child to tell you how they felt after they made that decision and see if they would do anything differently.
How does reading tie into critical thinking?
The more reading your child does, the more knowledge they will essentially have. This can be on a specific topic, or it can be on a broader spectrum. Try reading together to help build critical thinking skills.
Critical thinking involves learning from others who may have completely different lived experiences from your child. When we host playdates and friends comment about different habits or customs (Is it a living room, family room or great room? Dinner or supper? Wash your hands in the kitchen or the bathroom?), I know Jordan is learning about how different families live differently, and that’s a good thing.
Healthychildren.org says, “Think of your child’s curiosity as an opportunity to teach him or her about respecting differences and [in order to] to raise kids to embrace diversity, you’ll need to give them access to a variety of different cultures and traditions.”
- Parent tip: Another way to spark critical thinking is to categorize and classify things. Ask questions about the similarities and differences between at-home items and how they would classify or categorize those items. Also, see if there are any patterns in these real-life situations.
Encourage your children to speak about what they’re thinking
My son, Jordan, already had some knowledge about politics before reading “Think Like a Voter.” He had seen ads on TV from each presidential candidate, seen signs along the way to school and heard others talking about each one.
I was caught off guard when he said one day, “Mama, I don’t know who to vote for.” I asked what he meant by that because I thought maybe they were having an election at school. He then said, “I don’t know who should be president because both of them seem like a bad choice to me.”
I asked, “Why do they seem like a bad choice?” I wanted to encourage him to talk out his reasoning and make the best choice for him, even if he isn’t actually voting in this election.
I explained to him that sometimes ads and even candidates say things that are untrue and that you have to do your own research to find the best answer for yourself. I want to encourage him to be a critical thinker.
- Parent tip: One final way to spark critical thinking is to work together. Be your child’s support and encourage them to follow their own interests. Answer any of their questions, but also encourage them to come up with their own answers.
Content sponsored by Wayne County Community College District.
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