Time To Make Your Kids A Problem Solvers

With schools focussing more on critical thinking, it’s time to nurture this crucial skill.

- Karen Cicero

While being taught a social studies lesson about the Revolutionary War, a student in Lisa Wilson’s fourth-grade class at Arroyo Seco Elementary School, in California, US, asked: “Why did people want to fight for the loyalists?” Wilson’s response: “What do you think?” She then instructed her students to pair with classmates to discuss the topic and present their ideas.

Like a growing number of schools, Arroyo Seco allows its students’ curiosity to drive the lessons. The teachers also downplay memorizing facts. This approach is just one component of a bigger educational concept called critical thinking. Although it has been the subject of educational conferences for nearly 35 years, the movement has recently picked up steam. “This way of learning encourages children to become investigators, which helps their creativity and innovation blossom,” says Dr. Amy Seely Flint, professor of education at Georgia State University, in Atlanta, US. And you can boost this skill at home.

Help her strategize