If you look at successful people in the real world, you will see that they all share some characteristics. Regardless of whether they have academic degrees, each of them has learned vital life skills. Here is assistance if you are concerned that your child will not grow up without the critical and creative thinking abilities that will help them through life’s challenges. 

Before we outline the steps and activities that will assist your child in developing these crucial skills, it is important to clarify what critical and creative thinking skills are and whether or not they refer to the same thing. Continue reading about thinking is enhanced in the children going to Ahmedabad international school. 

Creative thinking: What Is It?

Creative thinking is essentially the capacity to think creatively, or to approach a problem from a fresh perspective. It involves some lateral thinking and searching for less evident patterns. Therefore, presenting a fresh perspective on a dilemma, resolving a conflict, and other activities are examples of creative thinking.

Among the abilities that developing creative thinking requires are:

• Ability to analyse
• Open-mindedness
• Solving issues
• Planning and organising abilities
• Among other things, communication

 

Critical thinking: What Is It?

The word “critical” is derived from the Greek verb Kritikos, which means “to judge or determine.” As a result, it relates to higher-order thinking, which is considerably more than just memory. Questioning, analysing, interpreting, assessing, and eventually rendering a judgement are all steps in a very intellectual process. 

 

Are critical and creative thinking the same thing?

Not exactly. Simply expressed, the ability to consider information that is offered to us logically and clearly is critical thinking. On the other hand, creative thinking focuses on coming up with original ideas. Critical thinking is therefore more analytical, whereas creative thinking is more generating.

Strategies for developing creativity and critical thinking

Here are some useful tactics to use in order to help both of these skills develop from a young age. 

1. Pose inquiries

Asking a child question that allows them to go deeper into a topic is the best method to get them to think critically about it. It is important to pose open-ended questions to them that allow them to reach their own conclusions. 

The youngster will be assisted in developing a hypothesis by asking questions like how a specific factor will affect the result, for instance. The child will be inspired to look into the matter more thoroughly by your repeated “why” questions. 

It will be beneficial to urge kids to explain their thinking when responding to your question. They could record it using writing, drawing, or any other method that works for them. 

At this point, it is crucial to promote and underline the importance of thinking things through rather than making snap judgments about whether or not their reasoning is correct.

Remember to encourage them to ask questions while you are asking them. You frequently hear “whys” from young children, and this can wear you out to the point of exhaustion. Instead of telling them that this is how things should be, attempt to explain the reasoning behind it as best you can. When children are taught to do logical analysis at an early age, they become confident in their capacity to do so as well as to employ logic instead of making decisions only based on emotion.

2. Take your time to rescue people

It is challenging to watch your child struggle, and the need to step in and solve the problem is strong. Giving the youngster the freedom to assess the problem and come up with solutions is a terrific lesson that will serve them well in life. You can empower your child by asking them, “What other ideas could we try?” or by encouraging them to come up with answers by stating, “Let’s think of the various solutions.”

It goes without saying that you must consider age-appropriacy and that any circumstance that puts a youngster in danger requires adult action. 

3. Read together

For youngsters to be exposed to a wide range of ideas, nothing compares to instilling the habit of reading. Additionally, stories can assist children in character and plot analysis. Take the children’s tale “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” as an example. It could be used to teach young children the value of preparation, idea generation, construction, and contemplation.

Activities like impromptu storytelling can assist develop a child’s capacity for creative thought. Children can always be asked to make connections between the stories and the outer world.

4. Check to see whether they have free time and space

While routine and scheduled activities have their place in a child’s life, it’s also crucial to make sure the youngster has enough freedom to explore and follow their imagination. The security that comes from being aware of the child’s explorations will provide them the much-needed confidence to investigate choices.

5. Encourage play to help them learn

Even though we often contrast work with play, play is a great way to gain important life skills. Consider a guessing game that develops logic or a puzzle that improves pattern identification, problem-solving, and cognitive abilities. 

You might also come up with brand-new activities, like asking your kid what else they can do with a particular household item. The child will be forced to think of new use for the item. The fact that playing these activities will help you and the kid to bond is an added benefit.

Critical and creative thinking are imbibed within a child since childhood and thus, it is really crucial for you as a parent to fill up for the best nursery school admission form.