Small and careful steps are a characteristic of using a critical approach to thinking. Critical thinking is in many ways the opposite to the long jumps that are a characteristic of lateral thinking. Children may naturally jump in their thinking but with some guidance they can also learn to either take small steps forwards towards a solution or walk backwards using small steps to explain their thinking or to reach a solution.
There are many metaphors that describe thinking – but they are constructed for adults. New and engaging terms are needed to explain different thinking styles for young children. The metaphor Think Dive is fun and it may help children to explore their own thinking process. It also explains in a clear way what is required when they are using this approach to thinking.
The term critical thinking may in itself not be a suitable word since there is a temptation to believe that this type of explanation to the thinking should be critical. We are lured into thinking that the aim is to criticize an idea or suggestion. But critical thinking means to think carefully through a situation. A child has to use knowledge search for new knowledge and explore questions such as “How can we explain this result?” “Does the information make sense? and “Do I need to search for more information?”
Exploring the questions and materials that are used to engage children in critical thinking is vital. And it is deceptively easy to pose ambiguous questions and to make claims that are not entirely true when teaching children about for example maths. Go here to read an excellent blog post about Critical Thinking in Children where examples from a TV programme for children and ways to explain shapes to children in preschool are examined.
You can think about this example before you read the blog post.
“If you cut a square in half you’ll make a triangle. “
Critical thinking is like walking down the stairs in a careful way without making any mistakes on the way. Judging each step careful to see if it is true. And younger children can be taught to make small Crittery Steps. Some children may like to think aloud and this means that it is possible to tell them to step back and that a smaller step or a step in another direction to reach the solution. While many children may find it difficult to explain their ideas or how they reached a solution, it is nevertheless helpful to ask them to take a small crittery step and explain the idea or to explain how they reached the suggestion that “Eating ice-cream makes you smarter!”
Older children can Think Dive to explore the following common ways of examining a problem or idea.
- Think Dive and explore what happened – Knowledge
- Think Dive and Tumble around and look for a reason for why it happened – Comprehension
- Think Dive with your head first and use Thinkibility Goggles. See what you would have done – Application
- Put on your Flippers and swim back and forth to find the parts you like best – Analysis
- Bomb Dive with your eyes closed. Open them and look for a different ending -Synthesis
- Think Dive with a Twist and Turn. What you think about the story? Why? – Evaluation
Photo: ”Silhouette” by arztsamui
