Critical thinking is one of the personality traits that every individual should have to design a successful career. It helps children with decision-making at the most crucial stages in their lives and recognizes the difference between right and wrong. The impact of critical thinking is such that various schools in Abu Dhabi have made it a part of their curriculum. They plan various co-curricular activities and conduct different case study sessions to instill this skill and make their students future-ready.
If you are also a parent to the school-going kid, you should ensure that the Indian public high school you choose takes the necessary effort to build these skills in children. You can check if the school conducts the activities listed below. Moreover, you can also carry out these activities at home to sharpen your critical thinking skills.
10 activities to promote critical thinking
Play sports
Sports are highly contributing to teaching children fundamental skills like teamwork, cooperation, and decision making. There are frequent events where the children will have to differentiate between right and wrong and take an instant decision. Thus, it is vital to encourage children to play any sports of their interest.
Case Study Sessions
School and the parents can involve students in case study sessions. Narrate a story to children and give them a situation where they have to choose based on what is right.
Town Hall Circle
Townhall circle is a co-curricular activity to build critical thinking skills. In this, a group of students sit in a circle and talk about a specific topic. The idea is to help children put their opinions in front and listen to the perspectives of others. It will help them broaden the horizon of their thinking and understand things from different perspectives.
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Jigsaw Puzzles
It is a fun activity that helps a lot in improving the learning graph of a child. Parents or teachers can use the jigsaw puzzle to keep children engaged without introducing them to screens. Moreover, the effort and the thought they put in arranging the puzzle makes them skilled in making challenging decisions.
Impromptu Debate
Extra-curricular activities like debate and declamation prove effective in increasing awareness in children. Moreover, when they get an impromptu topic, they are likely to give their clear, unfiltered opinion about things. This way, you can understand if your child is going in the right direction, or you have to take the necessary steps to sharpen their skills.
Community Involvement
Children learn better when they build a community of like-minded people around them. Hence, every Indian public high school must identify the skills and put children in a community of like-minded people. It will help them evolve and excel in their field of interest.
Decision Making Tasks
Small things can have a significant impact. Thus, a simple activity that involves decision-making after analyzing a few factors is vital in building critical thinking skills. For example, ask them to make identity charts by following some guidelines or involve them in simple decisions at home.
Healthy communication
Communication has always been the key to success. That is what the schools in Abu Dhabi always keep in mind. It is also something that parents should emphasize. Carry out healthy conversations with children on recent topics and encourage them to build their viewpoints.
Character Act
Theatre or role-plays is also an excellent activity to sharpen critical thinking in children. It is all about giving them a vision and helping them understand the two sides of the coin before they figure out right or wrong. Thus, a simple activity where children switch roles and talk about each other’s perspectives can prove beneficial.
Introduce Failures
To succeed is the aim and wish of every person, but there is no success without failures. Therefore, every educator and parent must teach children how to deal with it. The best way is to give them tough choices and let them choose so that they know this side of the story as well.
Conclusion
These are the activities that can help build and brush up the critical thinking skills in your children. You can discuss with the school authorities if they include these activities in their routine to prepare children for the competitive world. Furthermore, conduct these activities at home to ensure better learning.