Critical thinking refers to the ability of an individual to rationally think about and decide on what to believe or do. It is a component of science that includes the skills of analyzing situations, using reasoning to make inferences, evaluating, and solving problems or making decisions. Facione (1998) argues that, even though background knowledge has been touted as a necessary ingredient to critical thinking, it is not a sufficient prerequisite for enabling critical thinking within a particular subject as empirical research findings have suggested that the competence to think critically starts developing in human beings at a very young age.
Just like adults, children are confronted with abundant opportunities to make their own decisions and solve problems on a daily basis. When given the chance, youngsters might explore the opportunities to develop and exercise their critical thinking skills in solving problems that involve understanding how objects work, what social interaction issues are, and how to deal with physical challenges. Consider the following situations; a nine-month old baby has overturned a basin, is trapped beneath it, and cannot figure the way out. The baby is wondering what to do. Another situation is when a mother puts out tongs for her three-year old daughter to use for picking bacon, but the child does not know how they work. The …show more content…
Research has also demonstrated that it is not dependent of the age factor; and, therefore, parents and instructors are urged to guide children and provide opportunities that enhance the ability of the latter to learn to think critically. In building a foundation for critical thinking, parents and teachers should use open-ended questions and real-world problems that push children to go beyond recalling previously learned skills and make them practice
Just like adults, children are confronted with abundant opportunities to make their own decisions and solve problems on a daily basis. When given the chance, youngsters might explore the opportunities to develop and exercise their critical thinking skills in solving problems that involve understanding how objects work, what social interaction issues are, and how to deal with physical challenges. Consider the following situations; a nine-month old baby has overturned a basin, is trapped beneath it, and cannot figure the way out. The baby is wondering what to do. Another situation is when a mother puts out tongs for her three-year old daughter to use for picking bacon, but the child does not know how they work. The …show more content…
Research has also demonstrated that it is not dependent of the age factor; and, therefore, parents and instructors are urged to guide children and provide opportunities that enhance the ability of the latter to learn to think critically. In building a foundation for critical thinking, parents and teachers should use open-ended questions and real-world problems that push children to go beyond recalling previously learned skills and make them practice