Development of critical thinking in children
Offline My sons love the library. My just-turned-5-year-old brought home a bunch of books the other day, including a picture book about noah’s ark. There was some bullsh*t about how the giraffes got off the ark at the height of the flood and rescued some other animals stuck up a tree, because they were tall enough to breathe above the water. While I am keen to encourage my kids to think for themselves and to come to their own conclusions, I am also conscious of wanting to teach them what’s right.
I am interested to hear if any of you have opinions on how to teach young children to think critically? It is obviously preferable to avoid Dawkins’ Argument from Authority, but where do you draw the line? I can say that this story is wrong and has no evidence to support it, but a vociferous minority will argue the other way. I can also explain a viable alternative to the story and demonstrate the evidence to support it, but again, others will reject my explanation.
I think five-year-olds still rely on their parents to tell them what’s right and wrong, and while their brains are developing quickly, they are not yet developed enough to assess an argument critically. Does anyone have any experience guiding children through similar controversies? Does anyone have any expertise in the field of brain development in children? How old do children typically need to be to begin to understand critical assessment of an argument? Or is my assumption wrong, and should I be presenting all options now and allow him to come to his own conclusions?
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It depends on the child. What does he think about the story? When in doubt, ask him.
I remember reading every fairy tale book in the library. I still enjoy fantasy and sci-fi. But I never thought the stories were real. So I didn't pay much attention to what my son was watching or reading at age 5-6. He is now 40 BTW, so this was a long time ago. He had been watching the 6 Million Dollar Man. Told me one day he wanted to get run over by a car so he could have bionic legs, too. Whoops! Time for a talk about reality and fantasy.
My middle son was a lot easier. Remember the old Life cereal commercials? "Mikey likes it!" Well, nothing would do but he had to have the cereal. I was doubtful and really doubtful as it turned to total mush when you added milk. My son took one bite and said, "Mikey likes this?" And he has remained a skeptic ever since.
So your son may think it is a fun story, but totally impossible. No action required on your part. If he is believing it is real, then I would trot out a lecture on reality and fantasy. No need to get into religion if he has not been exposed so far. But you could add religion as a pleasant fantasy some people believe in. I never bad mouthed any belief to my children as I think that sets a bad precedence. Let them develop their own prejudices.
-- I feel so much better since I stopped trying to believe.
"We are entitled to our own opinions. We're not entitled to our own facts"- Al Franken
"If death isn't sweet oblivion, I will be severely disappointed" - Ruth M.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I225Vcs3X0g
You probably shouldn't show this video to your kid, but it should give you some ideas on how to ask critical questions on Noah's ark
Other than that, you should introduce your child to the concept of a fairy tale. If you tell Bible stories together with tell fairy tales, without giving Bible stories a special place, then Noah will not be more special than Winnie the Pooh. Including the fairy tales of other religions will also help. For example, the miracles of Jesus are not that impressive compared to miracles of Indian yogis and fakirs.
When he's older, you can tell your kid that Santa Klaus isn't real, but he's based on a real person, the greek bishop St. Nikolaos from Myra, who inherited a lot of money, helped out people and settled disputes. Later generations added lots of supernatural stories about him, etc.
Beings who deserve worship don't demand it. Beings who demand worship don't deserve it.
I've often wondered the same thing - how it would be possible to provide a framework for rational thought in a child. I don't think I heard about fallacious arguments until university and I didn't pay them great attention when I did. They should be taught early, in my opinion. So should a taste for empiricism.
I can imagine your concern. My second youngest neice is about 2 years and 3 months and is a peculiar vacuum cleaner of words and ideas. I'd hate a mind so receptive to be taken into a church to listen to a sermon where 'truth' is the product of threat and naked assertion rather than the product of an open mind. But sadly, her mind will filled thus. My youngest niece is not one and she goes to church every sunday, her helicopter mum eager to ensure they'll be together for all eternity.
I'd fill the house with kids' science books. Go see the dinosauars at the museum, go to an observatory, poke around in rock pools. Do simple experiments, subscribe to kid's science and nature magazines, show the lad bugs under a microscope, go searching for fossils together, create an environment in which everything new is met with a question. Pick 2 or three simple fallacies used to distort truth and instill recognition of them - the fallacy from complexity springs to mind. Refuse to allow that not knowing the answer is ever a form of evidence.
I was listening to Dad's revelations sermons at 6 and up the front of a billy graham rally crying for mercy when I was seven. My personal experience is extreme I'd get in first if I were you...
"Experiments are the only means of knowledge at our disposal. The rest is poetry, imagination." Max Planck
Thanks - I love this clip. I think the idea of talking about stories - or even ideas - that aren't true, but can still be entertaining or interesting is certainly a good place to start.
I certainly agree with teaching empiricism early. I like to challenge him with 'how do you know that?' type questions, but his responses vary greatly according to his mood, as much as anything else. I guess that's why I was wondering if there was a certain age at which these types of questions evoke more consistent responses. Part of my concern rests upon the fact that my son seems to be able to remember books word for word by the time he reads them the second time. It wouldn't take much.
I feel sorry for your niece. Hopefully her uncle will be able to positively influence her before she blindly accepts what she is being told.
I'd love to be Jason Bourne, but don't want to be shot in the back and dumped in the Mediterranean. I know what you mean, though. I'm probably not giving him the credit he deserves, as he certainly has a bullshit-detector - or at least he can see straight through my magic tricks. Not bad-mouthing beliefs is a great attitude, and wouldn't it be great if our religious friends allowed their children the same latitude? I guess there's no easy path to making sure he thinks critically before adopting a belief - it is something that needs to be developed over time with regular challenges and awareness of what is being assumed.
Thanks to you all for your feedback - I'm off home for a long weekend from early tomorrow morning, so I guess I'll see what books I'll be reading at bedtime tomorrow! Probably won't be back on until I return to Canberra, either. Need to catch up with my wife, too.