Teach your child how to think

Teach Your Child How to Think by Edward de Bono

Mark

163 reviews3 followers

October 20, 2011

I'm still digging through the introductory material, and this author already has me pissed off. This seems to be his purpose, since the opening bars are engineered to antagonize every category of potentially interested reader. He then meanders aimlessly and uselessly through a string of inept analogies and mixed metaphors. He has a great deal to say about what thinking is not, but never what it is, and seems confused about what several types of thinking are for, like his assertion that critical thinking is always negative or pessimistic. Though he states (again, and again, and again) that this is not a philosophical treatise on thinking, but a practical guide to it, I have seen nothing but philosophy so far, and no usable definition or explanation of what he thinks thinking is, only that is is completely different from every other form of thought discussed and dismissed so far. His writing style is best described as zombie-like: plenty dull but not forceful enough to be called bludgeoning; he repeats himself and hopes to convince the reader by geological erosion.

I'm still hoping that some of the thinking exercises are actually interesting and useful, if he ever gets around to telling us what they are instead of telling us how great they're going to be once we get to them.

Read

It is not about teaching your child how to think, it is about ourselves learning how to think correctly at first and then teach to our children. This is a book for everyone, even without any child, by this title, the author wants to say "we should learn how to think so our next generation will know it".

Excellent Book. Thinking was always illusory and creative thinking was beyond reach of layman.
De Bono step by step explain, teach, about how to think.

I got following benefits-

1) Relief to know and to experience that thinking can be teach and learned.

2) It provides structure, tools, techniques to think, quickly and effectively.

I am sharing the exercise given in the book with my son and he is not bored yet.

Worth reading and implementing.

I was awestruck by this 2nd book I read from de Bono. Here are (almost) all of the newly-revealed secrets of clear thinking (beside logic). Each concept is explained briefly what it is how and when to use it most effectively, some examples and exercises. This textbook layout is easy to approach at any interesting point. Perhaps assuming that readers/users have read his other books before use this one as a text book to teach children, it does not go too deeply into explaining the inadequacy of common way of thinking (or not too much thinking) like his other works, rather focuses on the practicality of the tools (this mercifully shorten the book).
The book is divided into 5 parts. The first is intro and how to use the book. If this is the first de Bono's book you read, perhaps you should skim over a little bit. Or if using this book to teach children, gleaning the part related to from which age could learn which tools. Otherwise, skip this because it drags on over 60 pages. You feel like forever, still there is no sights of the promised secrets. Just jump straight to Part Two where thinking modes and attention-directing tools are.
These 6 thinking hats and a bunch of acronyms like CAF, APC, OPV, C&S, PMI, AGO, FIP, and some other bits are extremely helpful to see a whole picture - with this, no longer the sins of myopia or narrow-mindedness. Perhaps, this is how such wise sages see the world around them.
Part Three is interesting in the sense of exploring the mysterious art of creativity, now provided with tools. Rather complete collections, other creativity-teaching books might just provide this much.
Part Four returns to the "contemptuous" judgment. But then it is no longer the criticism/argument type of judgment but practical operating decisions that goes to the far end of judgment and deal with possibility and vagueness - we no longer operate on the "either this or that" certainty of logic anymore.
Part Five contains of some fun games to practice the tools. Go at as one's leisure.
A compilations of (almost) all the thinking tools, bound within a book to be use as textbook for teaching thinking to children. This book really delivers what it sets out for. If you have not known these tools before, it is truly an eye-opening experience, a pleasure not many books have succeeded.

enjoyable how-to think-tank

Some of the other people rating the book say that Part One is dry, theoretical and tries to scare off readers. If you want to jump right in, then skip to Part Two. Odds are that if you have the book in your hands, you already agree with what the writer says in Part One. From Part One, I had heard a lot of what he'd said before, but I read it and benefited from it.
The following parts discuss types of thinking in good detail and provide clear examples on how to implement those types of thinking skills.
The book is essential for teachers. In the age of standardized tests, thinking has become too much about memorization. What we should be focusing on is thinking.

BrainStorming !!!!!

YET, complicated writing, u can get pissed off from the beginning and not complete it..

My advice? Give yourself time and don’t bother yourself finishing it, just read and think..

Melissa

Author 19 books844 followers

Skimmed almost the entirety and found nothing worth reading.

Okay, I don't even know how to classify this, twaddle comes to mind though. This author is very in love with the words he's coined for things, to the point he will tell you exactly how to pronounce his abbreviations and tell you that a word he made up is now in the dictionary, but the thought that anyone would in regular everyday conversation say we're going to "put on our black hat and think this matter through" instead of "let's think of whether or not this is really a good idea and can be done safely" is pretentious.

I skimmed through the first part hoping the application part would be worth it, but I skimmed that part even more, like skipping pages and fast skimming all the section's first lines, so I don't know, if you actually read it word for word, I give you a gold medal. I have more to do with my life than relabel thinking and then try to teach my kid to put on their red hat instead of just asking "how do you feel about this situation?" or asking them to CAF (said like caff not C.A.F!) instead of just asking them to be sure they've considered all the factors. Which I ask such things already naturally.

The AMOUNT of explanation for such simple ideas boggles my mind, it made these Einstein quotes come to mind, "Genius is making complex ideas simple, not making simple ideas complex."/ "Any fool can make something complicated. It takes a genius to make it simple." Therefore, I wrote off the author as someone I needed to learn from and moved on. (The author has died, so I'm not worried about hurting his feelings thankfully).

I was really hoping for some cool practice for improving my kids ability to think that I've never naturally done before, but didn't get it.

Just one word. Wow.

This book is a library of thinking tools. It is amazingly well collected and gives a good idea on what the tools are. The author does workshops on the tools and says that the book will not teach you the tools completely we should join his workshops. Which I agree. Each tool needs a few hour workshop.

The reason why I gave it a 3 star rating is because of the way it is written. The connection between elements & stories aren't there. It is already mentally draining to understand the tool and the way it is written makes it worse. I become anxious just by reading it.

If someone were to read this book, I recommend skimming it and only reading a part that interests you.

Better yet it would be amazing if someone turned these tools into proper lessons. Also, it would be better if instead of laying out 50 tools like this, ranking them and telling the reader to focus on the 3 that will make the most impact.

Lastly, there is no way kids will enjoy these practices. The parent needs to turn these thought experiments into something the child would enjoy doing. Even I got bored in all the thought experiments, I can't imagine a child going through it. The author should have made it easy to teach the child.

Anyway, some ideas in this book are amazing and I've added them to my blog: https://mmpractices.com

The book opens with wonderful facts and myths about thinking skills. It's not only for children but anyone can get benefited from it. No matter what age group you are coming from.
The techniques and new vocabulary just create new neural pathways which help you broaden your perspective about possibilities. These possibilities are keys to stretch your thinking skills and make them useable for experimenting new ways of learning.
Most importantly exercises at the end of every chapter just give you exercising and building new patterns of thinking.

I like the 6 hats thinking it’s time for craft work to create the hats. Have to research more into lateral thinking and extract the thinking games to play with my son.

Pauline

Author 12 books20 followers

It's more of a text book....so a little boring listened to the audiobook but I think it would have been better if I read it. Apart from that in all what he's talking about I can sum up by saying this I believe open-ended questions make people think more deeply so it's always good to ask kids questions that don't have one right answers.

Even though I had this on audio, I found it very hard going. It is basically de Bono preaching his Six Thinking Hats concepts and the myriad of acronyms that go along with it. I guess there is value in school kids doing some of the exercises to understand people think differently, but there really was nothing new or interesting in this.

gladiators_varro

great read for both parents and non-parents. This book helps understand how certain thinking traits were developed as a child and suggested to me ways to unbundle less effective thinking habits and how to redesign my developed thinking habits. very insightful.

A bunch of tools and techniques that can be used for thinking.

Some of my key takeaways..

1. THE SIX THINKING HATS
WHITE HAT: Facts, figures and information. What information do we have? What information do we need to get?
RED HAT: Emotions, feelings, hunches and intuition. What do I feel about this matter right now?
BLACK HAT: Caution. Truth. Judgement. Fitting the facts. Does this fit the facts? Will it work? Is it safe? Can it be done?
YELLOW HAT: Advantages, benefits, savings. Why it can be done. Why there are benefits. Why it is a good thing to do?
GREEN HAT: Exploration, proposals, suggestions, new ideas. Alter-natives for action. What can we do here? Are there some different ideas?
BLUE HAT: Thinking about thinking. Control of the thinking process.

2. CAF: Consider All Factors
CAF is an attention-directing tool. CAF is a tool designed to increase the breadth of perception. What are the factors that have to be considered in this matter?
The more you use the tool in a deliberate manner the more of a tool it becomes. If you are shy about mentioning the tool, it does not become usable as a tool but remains as a weak attitude.

3. APC: Alternatives, Possibilities, Choices
There are many sorts of alternatives:
PERCEPTION: The same thing can be looked at in many different ways.
ACTION: Alternative courses of action that can be taken in a situation.
SOLUTIONS: Alternative solutions to a problem.
APPROACHES: Different ways of tackling the problem in order to find a solution.
EXPLANATIONS: Alternative explanations of how something happened. Alternative hypotheses in science.
DESIGN: Alternative designs, each of which fulfils the purpose of the design (machines, buildings, posters etc.).

4. VALUES
In mathematics and in logic puzzles it is enough to get the right answer. Real life is very different because values are involved. Values are part of thinking. Values usually involve other people. A logically correct solution to a problem may be unacceptable because it goes against people's values (which may be illogical).

5. OPV: Other People’s Views
The world is full of people. Thinking is done by people. Thinking affects people.
The two key questions are:
1. Who is affected by this thinking (action)?
2. What are the views (thinking) of those affected?

6. C&S: Consequences and Sequel
Never mind about the 'sequel' part. treat this perception tool as 'consequences'. The tool is pronounced 'C and You could make a case for saying that this is the most important of all the thinking tools in real life. If your thinking is going to result in action of any sort (decisions, choices, plans, initiatives etc.) then that action is going to take place in the future. So you have to look at the consequences of that action.
Will it work out?
What are the benefits?
What are the problems and dangers (risks)?
What are the costs?

7. PMI: Plus, Minus and Interesting
Many highly intelligent people use their thinking to back up or defend their immediate judgement of a matter. The PMI is a perception-broadening tool (attention-directing) which forces a thinker to explore the situation before coming to a judgement.
The PMI is an exploring tool and also an evaluation tool.

8. AGO: Aims, Goals and Objectives
Pronounced: A-G-O
This is another of the CoRT perception-broadening, attention-directing tools.
AGO is related to the thinking habit of wanting to know the focus and purpose of thinking at every moment. AGO, however, is more concerned with the over-all purpose or objective of the thinking than the moment-to-moment focus.
What is the objective of our thinking?
What do we want to end up with?
As soon as you have a clear view of the ideal outcome of your thinking effort — then you have a clear AGO.

shelved

Adam

818 reviews19 followers

3.5 stars. An interesting dip into Edward de Bono's life work. De Bono is obviously incredibly intelligent. But, while the ideas are unique and intriguing, he definitely does not know how to write with children in mind. This book is not easy to follow and his writing is not in a way that will lead to logical progression. I looked through all the hundred books he has written and it seems from the titles that he was very much a same-meat-different-sauce kinda guy. Whether he didn't know how or didn't care he conveys his message through a thousand pictures of slightly different perspectives rather than clarity and persuasion. All the same, I'm really intrigued by his ideas. He takes a unique approach to creativity through systematic processes and approaches to thinking by practice. I don't think he has it, at least not in this book, but I think this is a really effective first step to get to systematic creativity. If he presented his work in a more coherent way I bet you could really work with it to see if it actually worked in an academic sense. I'd love to have a rundown of takeaways from his works, but at the same time I don't want to hunt up all the old articles and reviews to understand his main messages he conveys through 85+ books. There is something here to explore, if I can ever come across some better books of his that explains it. Very much like Eliyahu Goldratt's The Goal. So I'm going to put it on my read again bookshelf to remind myself to revisit him someday.

being-decent-at-being-human leading read-again

My dad bought me this book back when I was still in school but as a teenager, the title wasn’t so attractive to me. But I was wrong! This book is a life-changing read! It presents different approaches to thinking that we may already know but fail to distinguish in daily life. We may have gone through the practical of the techniques of thinking without realising. This book emphasises on the importance of thinking slowly, considering all factors and alternatives - even the impact on other people, looking at a wider perspective before coming to a decision. Dr De Bono also introduced so many tools to stimulate thinking and idea generating that are easy to be understood and applied in real life. A recommended read for everyone of all ages and backgrounds!

I've heard of this book in one of the brilliant YouTube videos from the sir. Atomic shrimp, seriously addictive and inspiring. Even though this genre is not my cup of tea at all, I gave it a try. After reading the book I feel like I had a four hours meeting when it could have been an email. A pamphlet. A sticky note in my notebook. Now I can't decide whether the book went on for too long with all the unnecessary fillings or I have become THAT person that wants everything already chewed up and digested. I could have made a summary of 3 to 4 pages out of everything in it. And you would not miss a thing. However, I have never tried this different hats method, so I might even try it in the future. I will deff try to make a meal out of 1 Eur or so for my family.

An excellent read. Mr. De Bono's language is simple, and it encourages you to think at every stage.
There are some interesting exercises at the end of the book, where he shows you how to blend his thinking methods and tools to generate better results.

This is a must read for everyone, if you want to progress in life beyond what you are told.

Jef

269 reviews2 followers

While I can see why this one has a lower rating that it should, due to being quite tactical in parts, in general this book adds great value..

It promotes and encourages creativity to solve problems, which is useful and helpful not only for kids but anyone interested in becoming a better problem solver.

Enjoyed the short and sharp paragraphs as well 😎

Jen

570 reviews7 followers

Listened to audiobook.

This book is offensively bad. The author takes general well-known principles of thinking (brainstorming, cost-benefit analysis, etc.), gives them an acronym and repackages it as his own idea, presumably to sell this book and his others. Also, don't call kids youngsters. It makes you sound ridiculous.

at-library

DNF. I'm always hopeduly to learn a few new things and come in with an open mind. The audiobooks voice was the only enjoyable part that kept me pushing before calling it quits around 40%. Too much time being pretentious with analogies that are rambling on about nothing by the end.

I couldn't find a single citation of another author within this book...That made me really THINK. ..

I first came across this book when I was homeschooling my son 30 years ago. Now I'm homeschooling my grandchildren and it's time to get some thinking hats going. De Bono is still timely.

education so-long-ago-i-can-t-remember-when

I consider this book A must , for anyone raising a child .

When I was a little boy my father talked to me about lateral thinking. He was reading a book by Edward De Bono.
In one way or another, I have been heard from him at school, at home, and even at work. That's when I decided to buy this book.
If you want to get familiar with the six thinking hats method and have a summary of Edward De Bono's methods, then this book is for you. If you, however, want to start familiarizing yourself with his methods, there are probably better options out there, since this is more of a reference book.
As a side note, I read the Spanish version published by Paidos, and it is poorly translated. If you want to read it, look out for an English version.

Probably misleading title - I'm not sure how this fits a "child" (below 12 years?).

A pretty dry take on the importance of teaching one's children to think, including some detailed methodologies and strategies, though their efficacy is not immediately clear to the reader.

non-fiction psychology

Critical Thinking For Kids - 5 Powerful Ways to Teach How To Think, Not What To Think

Critical thinking for kids is one of the most important skills in life. It is also an essential 21st-century skill. Unfortunately, going to school is almost the antithesis of learning to think critically.

In school, children learn to repeat back what the teacher or textbook says. They learn to follow the correct steps in the correct order to get the correct answer. Classrooms are filled with drills, memorization, and homework rather than teaching students to think.

It is up to us, the parents, to supplement our kids’ education with critical thinking examples and teaching in everyday life. Let’s look at why and how we can help our kids become critical thinkers.

What is critical thinking

Critical thinking is a set of skills and habits of mind, including the ability to define a problem, identify assumptions, analyze ideas, and reason critically, and then systematically list different possible causes, create plausible solutions, or evaluate its correctness using logical reasoning. It also includes the ability to make creative connections between ideas from different disciplines.

American philosopher, psychologist, and educator, John Dewey (1859–1952) called this “reflective thinking”¹. Dewey defined critical thinking as active, persistent, and careful consideration of a belief or supposed form of knowledge. It involves actively subjecting ideas to critical scrutiny, rather than passively accepting their face value.

Critical thinking for kids is about helping kids develop reasoning skills. A critical thinker will ask the right questions rather than just saying, “yes, this is the right answer”. They will analyze things and look at the reasons for them and all the alternatives.

Why is critical thinking important

Critical thinking is one of the most valuable cognitive skills because it allows us to use discipline and logical skills to solve problems. It is also important for a child’s brain and cognitive development. These skills are necessary in getting a child ready to understand how things work in the real world and come up with creative ideas.

Besides gaining problem-solving skills, being able to think independently will allow your child to resist peer pressure, form their own opinions and trust their own thinking when they are asked to do things they don’t want to do.

For the vast majority of everyday problems, it may suffice to rely on the rote, lower-order learning that our children receive from their schools.

However, prejudice, narrow-mindedness, emotion, or dogma can easily diminish its usefulness. When facing complex problems, people who are not used to critical thinking usually rely on simplistic, but often inaccurate or outdated, representations of the world propagated by mass media.

By using higher-order thinking skills, we can avoid making illogical mistakes that we would normally make if we saw the world through our emotions, prejudices, and irrational thoughts.

Why is critical thinking so hard to teach

If critical reasoning is such an important part of learning, why doesn’t school focus on teaching these vital skills?

The quick answer is, “They try, but they can’t.”

This is because, in order to “think critically” on a topic, one needs to have deep previous knowledge about a subject and apply formal logic.

There is no effective way to teach “general deep knowledge”. The analytical reasoning skills learned in programs on certain topics don’t transfer easily to other domains².

How to teach critical thinking to a child

Despite the difficulty in teaching critical reasoning in specific topics, there are things parents can do to help children form a healthy critical thinking mindset and develop the desire to look for deeper domain knowledge for creative problem solving. The main idea is to teach kids how to apply higher-order thought processes in any situation that requires decision-making skills in their daily lives.

While there are critical thinking activities or educational games to promote critical thinking, critical thinking goes deeper than just asking open-ended questions.

Here is what parents can do to teach children critical thinking in everyday life and help them become creative thinkers.

Start early and explain everything

Young children often ask lots of questions and “whys” which wear parents out to the point of saying “that’s how it’s supposed to be. ”

But knowing why is the crucial first step in thinking critically.

Children of all ages can learn to think critically. Do not blow them off just because they are younger children.

When children are taught from a young age how to ask different types of questions and formulate judgments by objective evidence and logical analysis, they grow up confident in their own ability to question assumptions and to reason with logic rather than emotions³.

As much as possible, explain things to them from an early age. When you can’t answer certain questions, you can say, “That’s a good question and I want to know the answer, too!”

Do not demand blind obedience

Asking kids to obey and follow orders from adults blindly is a great way to discourage critical thinking development⁴. Stanley Milgram’s Obedience To Authority Experiments illustrates this point perfectly⁵.

In this famous series of experiments, subjects were asked to administer electric shocks to a stranger when told to do so by an authority figure. In some cases, the shock was actually painful enough to cause serious injury. Under the “authority’s” instructions, most participants administered increasingly high levels of voltage to lethal dosages without questioning it.

This is the danger of obeying the authority blindly without exercising critical thinking to question the authority’s decision.

While parents often demand children to obey for their own good, we need to explain why we want them to do what we ask them to. “Because I said so” will not develop logical reasoning skills in children. A child needs to know the why’s to think independently and make sound judgments.

There is another advantage when we use this parenting style. When we use reasoning and logical thinking to explain what we ask kids to do, we are practicing inductive discipline. Studies show that inductive discipline is the best way to discipline compared to power assertion and punishment. Children have fewer behavior problems, better emotional regulation, higher academic success, and more critical thinking skills.

Encourage questions and foster curiosity in children

Critical analysis is using an objective and critical mindset to analyze an idea as opposed to relying on emotional response or subjective understanding. To think critically is to be willing to have your views challenged by new information and different perspectives.

When safety and health are not at stake, allow children to question and discuss the legitimacy of what we say. Doing so will help our children develop intellectual curiosity⁶ and analytical skills.

Teach open-mindedness

Keeping an open mind and flexible thinking when approaching a new problem is essential in critical thinking⁷. We can teach kids to be open-minded by suggesting different points of view, alternative explanations, or different solutions to problems.

Sometimes, there are things that have definite, repeatable answers, such as in math and science. But often, there are different answers depending on one’s point of view. Encourage kids to solve problems in new and different ways, by connecting different ideas from other domains, and strengthening their analytical thinking skills.

Explain the difference between correlation and causation

One of the biggest impediments of logical reasoning is the confusion of correlation and causation⁸.

When two things tend to happen together, they are correlated, but it doesn’t necessarily mean one causes the other. It may be, or it may not be. We don’t know unless we have more information to prove that one is a direct cause for the other.

For example: whenever a child wears a blue shirt to school, the teacher calls on him to answer a question. Does it mean wearing the blue shirt causes the teacher to do so? Maybe the teacher really likes to call on kids in blue shirts. But it’s not necessarily the case. Maybe it’s a coincidence or maybe whenever he wears a blue shirt, he also happens to be more alert and the teacher thinks he must know the answer. We don’t know if that’s the case without asking the teacher to confirm. Therefore, we cannot conclude that the blue shirt causes the teacher to ask him questions without having actual cause-and-effect proof.

Final Thoughts On Critical Thinking For Kids

Critical thinking matters not only for kids but also for adults. It’s one of the most important thing we must teach children through not only our words but also our actions. Model how to use this valuable life skill in our daily life in parenting. Using critical reflective thinking is also what sets us apart from bad parenting.

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References

1.
Fisher A. Critical Thinking: An Introduction. Cambridge university press; 2011.
2.
Willingham DT. Critical Thinking: Why Is It So Hard to Teach? Arts Education Policy Review. Published online March 2008:21-32. doi:10.3200/aepr.109.4.21-32
3.
Quinn V. Critical Thinking in Young Minds. Routledge; 2018. doi:10.4324/9780429445323
4.
Hess RD, McDevitt TM. Some Cognitive Consequences of Maternal Intervention Techniques: A Longitudinal Study. Child Development. Published online December 1984:2017. doi:10.2307/1129776
5.
Slater M, Antley A, Davison A, et al. A Virtual Reprise of the Stanley Milgram Obedience Experiments. Rustichini A, ed. PLoS ONE. Published online December 20, 2006:e39. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000039
6.
Dyche L, Epstein RM. Curiosity and medical education. Medical Education. Published online June 7, 2011:663-668. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2923.2011.03944.x
7.
Rimiene V. Assessing and Developing Students’ Critical Thinking. Psychology Learning & Teaching. Published online March 2002:17-22. doi:10. 2304/plat.2002.2.1.17
8.
Schwartz S. The fallacy of the ecological fallacy: the potential misuse of a concept and the consequences. Am J Public Health. Published online May 1994:819-824. doi:10.2105/ajph.84.5.819

About Pamela Li

Pamela Li is an author, Founder, and Editor-in-Chief of Parenting For Brain. Her educational background is in Electrical Engineering (MS, Stanford University) and Business Management (MBA, Harvard University). Learn more

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Teach your child to think: How to raise a smart, confident and independent person (Darlene Sweetland, Ron Stolberg)

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Today's children are accustomed to getting everything at once, they love gadgets, they don't know how to communicate normally, they are impatient and lack initiative. And modern parents want the best for their children and often have high expectations. How not to lose a sense of reality and the trust of a child in pursuit of his bright future? Experienced psychologists Darlene Sweetland and Ron Stolberg tell how to raise a purposeful and successful person and become a child's best friend. “This book is a lifeline for all parents of the “Generation Me”, the hallmarks of which are the desire to receive everything at once, absolute intolerance for failures and the confidence that adults will correct any mistakes. “Teach a Child to Think” is addressed to those who want to understand where the line lies between necessary care for a child and suffocating interference in his life” Anastasia Khanina,
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Modern children are accustomed to getting everything at once, love gadgets, do not know how to communicate normally, are impatient and lack initiative. And modern parents want the best for their children and often have high expectations. How not to lose a sense of reality and the trust of a child in pursuit of his bright future? Experienced psychologists Darlene Sweetland and Ron Stolberg tell how to raise a purposeful and successful person and become a child's best friend. “This book is a lifeline for all parents of the “Generation Me”, the hallmarks of which are the desire to receive everything at once, absolute intolerance for failures and the confidence that adults will correct any mistakes. “Teach a Child to Think” is addressed to those who want to understand where the line lies between necessary care for a child and suffocating interference in his life” Anastasia Khanina,
Editor-in-Chief ReadRate

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The book "Teach a Child to Think: How to Raise a Smart, Confident and Independent Person" is available in the online store "Chitai-gorod" at an attractive price. If you are in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Rostov-on-Don or any another region of Russia, you can place an order for a book Darlene Sweetland, Ron Stolberg "Teach your child to think: How to raise a smart, confident and independent person" and choose a convenient way to receive it: pickup, delivery by courier or sending mail. To make buying books even more pleasant for you, we regularly hold promotions and contests.

5 ways to teach your child to think and make decisions

The Internet has given us unlimited access to various information. Distinguishing truth from fiction and forming your own opinion is becoming increasingly difficult. That is why it is so important to teach children to think critically. The editors of "Avanta" publishing house "AST" pays special attention to this, releasing reliable and fascinating scientific and educational books for children.

The ability to think critically does not mean having a negative attitude towards any incoming information. It's about the ability to look at the situation from different angles, rationally assess it and draw your own conclusions based on several sources.

Just imagine: a doctor prescribes an operation for you. And you doubt. Therefore, go to another doctor to get a second opinion and evaluate alternative options. And then make a decision. When it's based on (this is important!) comprehensive, verified data, the chance of hitting the target is much higher.

The world needs people with critical thinking. If you know how to ask the right questions, separate facts from opinions and analyze them, your conclusions are likely to be close to the truth. And the decisions are timely and adequate.

Scientists have come to a paradoxical discovery: the level of public awareness correlates with the dynamics of anti-science in it. With the growth of enlightenment, the number of those who refuse to think logically does not fall, as it should, but, on the contrary, increases (you definitely saw comments about conspiracy theories and Overton windows - that's exactly what we're talking about). Therefore, children must be taught to check the facts and constantly pass the information that comes to them through the prism of adequacy.

The main advantage of critical thinking is the confidence that the child will not accept any fake on faith

Unobvious bonuses include erudition, ingenuity, logic and the ability to see contradictions in the flow of information. It’s as if a light bulb in the child’s brain lights up, warning that incoming data needs to be checked.

Another advantage: by expanding the horizons, the child will understand himself better and, most likely, will be interested in some directions that he had not thought about before. And this is always useful for future career guidance.

There is only one minus, and even then it is very conditional: it is not easy with a critically thinking child. He is not ready to obediently agree with everything he is told. He asks a lot of questions, attacks your system of morals and values. He is attentive to details and demanding on the quality of "content". This is the price to be paid. But if you choose this path, you will earn the sincere respect and trust of your child. Even when you can’t answer the next “why?”.

Critical thinking does not develop in one year, so the sooner a child starts to train it, the easier it will be for him and those around him. To do this, you need:

Listen to his opinion

One of the key features of critical thinking is the courage to form and express your opinion. To do this, the child needs an accepting and safe environment at home. If you make fun of him, ignore his opinion, or proceed from the position “the adult is more right and smarter,” then this will quickly teach the child that his opinion is always wrong and insignificant. Nonsense, not an opinion. This means that it is easier to follow authority and not take the initiative.

Encourage independence

Do not rush to give a ready answer to the child's request - invite them to think together or ask leading questions. From all the assumptions, choose the closest to the truth and show why the conclusion is correct.

Discuss and discuss

Do not avoid difficult or unpleasant topics, ask trick questions, question the obvious. Engage in research activities: for example, find out why you need to eat breakfast. In parallel, the child learns about the basics of proper nutrition and the impact of food on the quality of human life. The conclusions made by him on his own will be more valuable than any lectures on healthy lifestyles.

Expand the child's horizons

Do not be afraid to give him books and show him movies with heterogeneous, sometimes contradictory information. Show how and where to look for arguments in favor of different points of view. Encyclopedias, informative videos, thematic works of recognized experts - all this will help you. Remember that narrow-mindedness breeds ignorance, and prohibitions kindle interest in the "forbidden fruit."

Read interesting books

Start by discussing interesting facts: high-profile events of the past, controversial theories, common myths. For example, with the series "Encyclopedia of Secret Materials" from the editors of "Avanta" publishing house "AST". The strangest incidents in the world, high-profile sensations, phenomenal phenomena that baffled scientists from different countries - all this is collected under the covers of two books.