Thinking Skills

Buy this book »

Raths, Wasserman, Jonas, and Rothstein (1986) define thinking as a way of learning. Thinking is different from memorizing in that it requires decision making by the learner. Thinking causes one to not simply memorize “facts” but to understand and “acquire facts” through the process of making judgments based on available information.

Making a cause-and-effect relationship is a basic thinking operation. When children discover that they can cause a change, they model that process at every opportunity. When they find that pushing a button on the television causes the television to light up and make noise, this is what they choose to do. Children test an idea based on observing other people doing similar activities, and thus continue to test the idea until they learn that this is not a good idea, usually from a parent or caregiver.

Using thinking skills such as examining cause-and-effect relationships also promotes the development of questioning. Words that children use, such as how, why, and where, indicate they are examining cause-and-effect relationships. These words are critical in development, because they allow children to wonder, probe, explore, and ask questions as well as request tools, information, and knowledge. As language skills develop, children quickly become virtual questioning machines asking hundreds of questions each day: “Can I paint?” “Why do I have to do this?” “Will you help me?” “How can I do that?”

How we respond to these questions is critical to the formation and development of a child’s attitude toward their active thinking and inquiring. If they are met with criticism and admonishment, they will infer that adults do not want them to think and ask questions. If they are met with answers, they will infer that questioning is a good way of learning what they want to know. If they are met with conversation, discussion, and available resources and materials, they will infer that questioning is a good way to promote and examine ideas. These opportunities are critical for their development of inquiry skills and confidence in analyzing ideas on their own. For every question that children verbalize, they internalize several more questions. Opportunities for children to play on their own terms give them the freedom to explore their own ideas at their own pace. Nondirected play is critical to the early development of questioning skills. Through play, children do not have to develop a formalized verbal question. They can formulate a concept and test it without trying to verbally share their ideas with others. They can repeat and revise the process at their own will. Individual nondirected play has no time constraints.

It is difficult to comprehend what is going on in the mind of a child. Consider the following example. Grandma and Grandpa had that great opportunity to take their grandson, Brandon, for an afternoon drive. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, they bombarded the child with questions for discussion. “What did you and Daddy do this morning? What would you like for dinner? What’s your favorite toy?” But each question was met with silence. Brandon just looked outside the car, apparently oblivious to all discussion. Exasperated, Grandpa asked, “Brandon, what are you thinking?” Again he was met with total silence for an extended period. Finally, Brandon said, “I am thinking... I am thinking about the birds.” Again, a pause. “I am thinking about how the birds fly.”