Chapter 14

Becoming Thinkers

Higher-level Thinking

Many types of higher-level thinkingComparingConstruction supportLogical reasoning

Teaching Children to Compare

ComparingFocus on similarities and differencesStart with items for comparisonDecide which characteristics to useMake observations

Teaching Children to Compare

Help from a Venn Diagram Each item represented by a circle Overlap

Shared characteristics No overlap

Unique characteristics

Teaching Children to Construct Support

Explaining reasons for personal opinions, vales, and beliefs Clearly state opinion, value, or belief List reasons that support their opinion, value, or

belief Compare personal positions to Scriptural principles Revise reasons based on scripture Organize reasons into a convincing explanation

Teaching with Real-Life Dilemmas

Real-life dilemmas are engaging way Get older children to think about

values/beliefsSteps:

Present the situation “What would you do?”

Choose story lines that Are rooted in real life Are just beyond your children’s personal

experience

Teaching Children to Use Logic

Three types of logical reasoning From specific examples to general principles From general principles to specific examples Parables (metaphors)

Teaching Children to Use Logic

Specific-to-General Reasoning (Induction) Observation of several specific examples Create a rule to explain observations Test the rule for usefulness/accuracy

Teaching Children to Use Logic

General to Specific Reasoning (Deduction) State an accepted rule or generalization Make conclusions on the basis of that

generalization Test the conclusion for appropriateness

Teaching Children to Use Logic

Parables (Metaphoric reasoning or Abduction) Help express ideas that are too grand or complex to

put into words Examples in the Bible and church hymnal

“The morning stars sang together” (Job 38:7, NKJV) “Your word is a lamp to my feet” (Psalm 119:105,

NKJV) “I am the vine; you are the branches” (John 15:5,

NKJV)

Teaching Children to Use Logic

Specific-to-General

General-to-Specific

Parable

Input Adam is dead

Queen Esther is dead

Apostle Paul is dead

All humans die Adam died

Input Adam, Esther and Paul were human

I am human The grass in my lawn died

Conclusion All humans die I will die Adam is a grass

Teaching Children to Use Logic

Steps for Teaching Inductive Reasoning Present the children with a “data set.” The children place the data into groups of

their choosing Children must be able to give at least 2-3 reasons to

explain what kinds of things fit in each category No item can fit in more than one category Allow a miscellaneous category for supposed “misfit”

items

Teaching Children to Use Logic

Steps for Teaching Inductive Reasoning (continued)

Make additional observations “Test” the accuracy of their generalization(s) “Test” validity of conclusions

Teaching Children to Use Logic

Steps for Teaching Deductive Reasoning Identify new situation or topic Identify general principles or rules that apply Double check to make sure the rules apply Draw a conclusion or make a prediction

What will or should happen Based on the rules and the situation

Teaching Children to Use Logic

Steps for Teaching Abductive Reasoning (Parables) Present a collection of objects Each child selects an item Children to “get to know” their items Look for metaphoric similarities Children explain their parable

Keys to Becoming Thinkers

Higher-level thinking must be taughtComparing

Finding similarities and differences

Constructing support Giving good reasons for beliefs and values

Thinking logically: Specific-to-general reasoning General-to-specific reasoning Parables

Keys to Becoming Thinkers

Specific-to-general reasoning Observation of specific examples Creation of a general principle

General-to-specific reasoning State a general principle Draw conclusions about specific instances

Parables Comparison of seemingly unlike things Use of metaphor