23 May, 2014
As your teen gets older, she is learning to think in a different way. It becomes more important for her think critically.
Thinking critically means she will begin to weigh the information she hears, sees and reads. She won’t just take it in. She will think about whether she accepts it. And if so, how best she can use it.
Many fun activities can improve your teen’s critical thinking skills. Here are some of them:
~Debating. Most teens love to argue anyway. Ask her to stop arguing with you and join the school debate team instead.
~Playing board games. Chess is probably best for teaching critical thinking. But checkers, backgammon and some popular brand name games work, too.
~Reading more than textbooks. It can’t be said too often that teens should read for pleasure—everything from the newspaper to a favorite magazine to a novel. The more she reads, the more ideas she will be exposed to.
~Puzzles. Crossword puzzles build word power. Jigsaw puzzles improve math skills. Each teaches logic.
~Playing a musical instrument. Making music teaches about order, rhythm and patterns. It sharpens listening skills. And it can help teens feel calm. This improves their ability to think.
brought to you by
Hopkinton Middle School
