Fun Fact: Did you know that children as young as 3 years old start to develop critical thinking skills? It’s true! And as parents, you can play a big role in helping them develop these important skills.
Critical thinking skills are more important than ever nowadays as children are constantly bombarded with information from various sources like our smartphones, computers, or many in-person experiences today and they need to be able to think critically about what they’re hearing and seeing.
A recent study by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in India found that only 20% of Indian students can think critically; nearly 70% cannot solve a problem that is not directly given in the textbook.
What are they doing wrong? How do we improve such skills?
Let’s talk about it from the beginning, shall we?
What is Critical Thinking for kids?
Critical thinking is also known as the ability to think clearly and rationally, to understand the logical connection between ideas, it’s like a superpower that helps you make better decisions in life.
This skill is like a passive ability every child must possess while growing up, as it’s the foundation of all the reasoning that can be learned and developed over time by asking ‘why’.
It’s curiosity that drives kids to become more knowledgeable.
Parents and teachers can play a role in helping children develop these skills by providing them with opportunities to think critically and solve problems.
But are these skills really that necessary? and how important is critical thinking for kids?
It’s very important!
Can it be improved? Yes!
How can you improve critical thinking skills that are important for kids?
There are several reasons highlighting its importance and how you can improve critical thinking skills in your child,
Clear and rational thinking
Help them think clearly and rationally this will help them understand the logical connection between ideas and evaluate information objectively.
Generally, in school, critical thinking skills help children to learn and retain information, solve problems, and make informed decisions.
Setting foundations
In life, critical thinking skills help us adults to be more informed citizens, to make better decisions, and to be more successful in our personal lives.
But a basic foundation needs to be built first, right? That is where parents and schools play a big role, thinking critically may look like a difficult task but we do it subconsciously.
Good memory, better solutions
These skills help children learn and remember information more effectively. When children can think critically about the information they are learning, they are more likely to understand it, be able to apply it to new situations, identify the root cause of a problem, generate possible solutions, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solutions life throws at them.
The 5 Whys
Do you know about the five whys of problem-solving?
It’s simple: if your child is having trouble finding the actual solution to a problem, they need to ask themselves ‘Why’ five times to find the root cause and eliminate it. It’s all part of critical thinking!
Informed decisions
It helps them make informed decisions. When they’re able to think critically, they can evaluate information from various sources, identify biases, and form their own opinions, which is a must-have skill today as everyone is opinionated these days.
Parents play an important role
As a parent, you play an important role in developing critical thinking skills in your child. Children learn from what they see and hear, so be a role model for them. Children adapt everything from their parents at a very young age.
Some extra tips
Show them how you think critically about the information you see and hear. You can do that by encouraging them to
- Stay curious and ask questions.
- Evaluate any given information and have multiple POVs (points of view).
- Construct logical arguments to get a broader understanding.
By following these tips, you can help your child develop critical thinking skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.
Is there any better way to strengthen critical thinking skills?
We talk about traditional schooling methods, which mainly focus on memorization and rote learning, which do not help your child become a critical thinker.
They teach students to accept information without question and not think for themselves, which can be a huge problem if left unseen and soon becomes detrimental in the real world where people need to be able to think critically and make their own decisions. You don’t want your child to get stuck in such situations, right?
But worry no more; today we have even better teaching mediums for the newer generations: Online schools,
Where students are encouraged to find their interests and develop their ideas while actively learning and adapting to new things, a new perspective on learning helps them become more critical thinkers, as they are more likely to question information and think for themselves.
Have you heard about Cyboard School? India’s best online school for your child!
Who are we?
Cyboard Online School is a 100% online school where all children deserve a world-class education. We are committed to providing students with the knowledge, skills, and values they need to succeed in the 21st century, and yes, that includes critical thinking skills too.
We believe that all children are unique and learn in different ways, which is why we offer a variety of teaching methods and learning styles.
We believe in providing a good education that not only stimulates your child emotionally and mentally but also spiritually.
With classes so interactive, it not only helps them become good at studies but also become better humans as they progress with our EDGE philosophy of education, which is an acronym for Excellence, Diversity, Growth, and Empathy!
Read more about E.D.G.E. here.
We offer a variety of extracurricular activities, arts, and music to keep it enjoyable for our students so they are always attentive throughout the sessions
Conclusion:
If you are looking for a school that will help your child develop critical thinking skills along with other necessary skills, Cyboard Online School is the right choice for you.
Our team of dedicated teachers works hard to help students succeed and believes critical thinking skills are essential for success in any field. So we focus on teaching students how to think critically about the information they may come across and to construct logical arguments.
Click here to book a consultation.
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