It's Elementary: How Can I Help My Child Develop Higher-order Thinking Skills?

Teachers often say that they want to develop a student's higher-order thinking skills in order to improve their achievement. As parents when we hear this it can seem like a very complicated process, best left to the classroom, but there are some very important things that parents can do to develop and practice thinking skills that simply require having purposeful conversations with your children.

A little purposeful conversation with your child can offer meaningful practice of higher-order thinking skills. Here are two simple possibilities.

1. If your student has a favorite television show, ask your child to tell you about the plot of the episode. Inquire about what happened last week and how it relates to this week. Ask your child to make predictions about what may happen next, then ask, "What events so far make him/her predict that?"
2. If your child loves video games, ask him or her about the strategy they use to play the game. What have they learned that will help them be successful in the game, or get a better score?

Having these conversations has a double payoff. As you ask your child questions about their interests, you learn more about their activities, and through these conversations, you are offering your child real-life opportunities to describe, analyze, interpret, and evaluate. These four skills will help your student develop his/her critical thinking skills.

Posted by Nancy Mangum at 10:23 AM on November 21, 2008 | Leave Feedback

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