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LIFE&FAMILY
136
July14
Thinkers
To become successful learners and
global citizens, educators largely
agree, children should be taught
how to think, not what to think. And
there’s plenty that parents can do to
encourage their children to become
independent thinkers. Here are
seven useful tips.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FACT-CHECKING FOR ACCURACY
With so much information and misinformation online, children
need to verify what they are reading. Encourage patience and
persistence. Remind them to ask questions: How do we know this
is true? Why should I agree with this opinion?
CHECK THE RELIABILITY OF A WEBSITE OR REFERENCE BOOK
Ask children to consider: Does the URL have an official suffix
such as .org or .edu? When was the information posted or published?
Are the sources stated? Is the author an expert? How can you tell? Is
the information the same or different on other trusted sites?
COPYING AND PASTING INFORMATION IS NOT THINKING
Children need to know they will never attain good results by
plagiarising; they must be able to demonstrate understanding. Ask:
Can you summarise what you’ve just read and break it into key ideas
and examples? Can you explain it in your own words? Ask them to
practise this skill aloud.
ASK A MIXTURE OF FACTUAL AND INFERENTIAL QUESTIONS
Watch, read or listen to a news report or thought-provoking
story together. Choose something that is neither too hard nor too
easy, because the brain is stimulated by challenge, but inhibited by
threat. Talk about what you’ve read. Start with the facts: Who did
what? Where? When? How? Move on, and ask: Why? How can you
tell? Mix it up by asking inferential questions before the factual ones,
but beware of leading questions, such as “He shouldn’t have done
that, should he?”
ENCOURAGE YOUR CHILD TO WONDER, AND TO ASK MORE
QUESTIONS
Can they make connections between the information and the people,
places and events from other stories, or from real life? Ask: Did this
remind you of anything else you’ve seen, heard or read? Why?
SOME CHILDREN DEMONSTRATE THEIR THINKING CREATIVELY
Encourage active and artistic children to share their knowledge
and ideas through drawings, models, dance and role-play. Any
opportunity for enthusiastic review and reflection is worthwhile. Ask:
Can you draw that? Can you show me? Can you act it out? Always
include plenty of talk.
ENCOURAGE CHILDREN TO LOOK AT INFORMATION FROM DIFFERENT
PERSPECTIVES
Ask children to put themselves in the shoes of someone else and
think like another person. This can open minds, develop empathy
and discourage children from generalising or rushing to judge others.
Cinderella is a good example: Encourage the child to think like the
sisters, rather than Cinderella. Ask: Could there be reasons why
the sisters behave the way they do? They may still decide that the
sisters are “the baddies”, but in reaching that conclusion there’s a
very worthwhile discussion to be had about the wider issue of how
people should treat each other.
Charlotte Humphrey is Avondale Grammar School’s Assistant
Principal and Head of Primary and Middle Years. avondale.edu.sg
Independent