Critical thinking skills are important to the cognitive development of children. The introduction of these skills can begin as early as pre-school and kindergarten. It is important that the skills of analyzing, comparing and synthesizing be developed at an early age so students can apply them to the appropriate situation, whether in academic or personal life.
Instructions
1. Introduce the skill and explain it. Critical thinking skills are taught in isolation in kindergarten so that students can learn when and apply them. For example, "Today, we are going to learn compare and contrast. We will learn to identify things that are alike and things that are different about the people in the story we have just read." Don't be hesitant to use the exact terminology. Five year-olds have an amazing capacity for understanding complex language.
2. Model it for the students. Show them how the thinking process is used. For example, after you have explained what compare and contrast is, illustrate it by completing a venn diagram about a story that everyone is familiar with. Write down the similarities and differences about the main characters. Talk to yourself about what you are writing, showing students that you are thinking as your are writing. This think-aloud procedure helps children increase metacognition.
3. Apply the skill. The purpose of teaching critical thinking skills is to be able to apply them. When you read aloud to the class, use the skill of compare and contrasting throughout the story. Do this informally and draw the children into the conversation, giving them the chance to comment on your comparisons and make some of their own. It shouldn't take many times of you modeling the skill for your class to know do it themselves.
4. When a student can easily write about what they've learned, you know that they have mastered the skill. For example, after you have modeled and the class practiced compare and contrasts, have them write a few sentences about how it has helped them. Since you are working with kindergarten, do not depend on spelling and grammar expertise. Instead, look for content. If they write something like, "I know tell how things are like and how they are different," you have succeeded. If everyone looks confused and unsure of what to write, then you will need to continue practice on this skill. Do not introduce the writing component until second semester when most children can write at least a simple sentence.
Tags: apply them, thinking skills, about what, after have, compare contrast, Critical thinking