In a recent documentary, author Fran Lebowitz proudly admits that she really likes talking with children because they are the only humans “who are not yet filled with cliché”, and that she enjoys being around people who tell her things she hasn’t already heard.
She’s not wrong. A child’s tremendous capacity for innovation and creativity both fascinates and, let’s face it, sometimes sparks a little envy in adults. It’s what inspired the creation and celebration of Kid Inventor’s Day, which happens to be this week. It also stands as a very good reason to teach thinking skills to children as early as possible, to make use of this incredible drive and power to make something new.
There are a number of reasons why critical thinking should be as important in education as literary or numeracy:
Children do it anyway.
Have you ever encountered a kid who didn’t ask questions freely, at least when they were very small? If the inclination is there, why not put a bit of structure around it?
There are social-emotional benefits to critical thinking.
Exploring one’s own feelings and interactions with others is an important step toward expressing and acting on them in a healthy way.
Academically speaking, critical thinking helps in all subject areas.
Learning built on critical thinking amounts to more than just acquiring and recalling facts. It becomes exploratory and participatory, and it also helps children take ownership of their education.
It turns mistakes into productive exercises.
If a child can examine what went wrong, retry, and rebuild, they’re likely to learn even more than they would have if everything had gone smoothly.
Critical thinking empowers.
It acknowledges a child’s ideas, makes them fell like an important part of the discussion, and encourages them to be involved in finding solutions to all kinds of problems.
As in the case with many things, children don't see critical thinking as work.
They’re happy to play with ideas, and they take pleasure in trying things a different way.
It opens doors to problem solving and innovation.
Critical thinking also enables even young children to think beyond surface details, to see connections and possibilities, and to figure out new ways to act on them. Not surprisingly, this is a large part of what leads to kid inventors.
Encouraging the next generation of thinkers to think critically while they’re still young is likely to result in all kinds of future innovation, and that’s something to look forward to. But what about grown-ups?
Well, just as it’s never to early to learn to think critically, its never too late. Whether you’re just finishing kindergarten, or you’re in the middle of your career, all of the reasons to teach these vital skills to kids apply to you. Grown-up thinkers would probably do well to try to think more like a kid.
It’s with all of this in mind that our sister company, Red T Kids, produces multimedia, interactive materials for children ages 5 and up who are building their critical thinking skills. If you’re curious about ways to bring critical thinking into your home, or if you’re looking for fun and entertaining ways to kick off your own learning journey, check out RedTKids.com.
