Critical Thinking for Kids: 7 Proven Strategies for Parents

Careful evaluation of information, the ability to tackle complex problems, and questioning assumptions - these are all skills that we hope our children learn as they grow. Critical thinking skills are crucial to navigating the world with wisdom and discernment, especially with the increase of artificial intelligence, generative content, and ever-expanding information.

Fortunately, critical thinking is a skill like any other that can be sharpened with practice.

Minnehaha Academy’s Instructional Coach Natalia Jankowski shares her top seven tips for parents as they help their kids build the critical skill of critical thinking.

1. Encourage Questions

Kids ask the best questions: How do fish survive when ponds freeze? Why do some birds sing early in the morning and others at night? Why do we park on a driveway and drive on a parkway? Big (and small) questions mean that your child is deeply processing the world and working hard to understand it. It’s wonderful! It’s even better when you don’t know the answers. This allows you and your child to explore topics together and seek answers through research, experimentation, and discussion. Not only do you have the opportunity to spend time together learning something new, you also are modeling different ways of thinking, researching, and evaluating truth from fiction.

2. Embrace Diverse Perspectives

While it is fun to read favorite books over and over, the next time you visit the library make a point to check out books from authors that may be unknown to you. If you don’t know where to start, ask a librarian. They can guide you to books that just might become new favorites. As you read together, make a point to ask your child what they think about a situation in the book or a certain character. Books can be a catalyst for meaningful conversations. However, this concept doesn’t have to be limited to books. Consider checking out new movies, museums, or restaurants that you otherwise might not try. When you do so, have a conversation about the experience. What comes up? Are there multiple perspectives you could consider? 

“We live in a society that tells us ‘my opinion is the most important opinion,’” explained Jankowski. “That’s not Biblical. We need to value the experience and listen to the opinions of others.” Encouraging your child to stretch their brain by examining things from multiple sides will help build empathy and consider alternative views with a considered approach. 

3. Teach Problem-Solving Skills 

Sometimes problems feel like giant boulders in the middle of the road to progress. They are daunting in scale, and can be so overwhelming that it’s tempting to quit before you begin. As toddlers, that giant boulder of a problem might be a Duplo tower that keeps falling over, in elementary school it might be learning the multiplication tables, in middle or high school it could be a complex research project. While the problems change, the skills to overcome them stay the same. When kids learn to break down problems into small pieces and consider multiple solutions, they learn skills that can apply to a Duplo tower or a high-level science project. As you guide your child through these skills, celebrate their progress! Even failure is an opportunity to learn a useful piece of information. 

4. Provide Opportunities for Independent Thinking

“Experience is the best teacher.” Julius Caesar said this in the first century, and his advice is true today. Give your child the autonomy to make decisions and solve problems on their own, whenever appropriate. While it is sometimes easier and faster to make choices for your child, there is value in giving them space to practice decision making. You can offer guidance and support as they test out and flex their growing skills. By giving your child space to think independently and learn from their experiences, you provide them with the scaffolding to become more confident thinkers and decisive in their choices. 

“Research shows us that when students have a choice in what they learn, there is a deeper learning that happens and they are more engaged in what they are learning,” Jankowski explains. When children have more choice, the concepts they learn will have a longer-term impact.

5. Engage in Critical Media Consumption

What are some signs you can look for to know if a website is credible? Is a person trying to sell something? Do you think this show is for entertainment or information? In a digital landscape differentiating between news, research, advertisements, and entertainment can be tricky. Most children have not grown up reaching for a print newspaper or a bound encyclopedia. As a result, they don’t have the same frame of reference for sources that older adults have that did grow up using these materials. 

Watch TV, scroll social media, and research information online together. As you do, talk about what you find. Share with them how you evaluate information from various media sources, including news, social media, and entertainment. Encourage them to question the credibility of sources, identify bias, and consider the motives behind the information presented.

6. Encourage Reflection

Whether things go wrong or things go right, discussing outcomes of decisions will amp up your child’s ability to learn the most from their choices. “When you intentionally create a space for reflection, it gives permission for people to talk about what went well and what didn’t,” said Jankowski. Ask open ended questions, such as: How did that feel? What could you do differently next time? What can I do to support you? 

Foster a habit of reflection by regularly discussing experiences, decisions, and outcomes with your child. Encourage them to think about what they learned, what they could have done differently, and how they can apply those lessons.

7. Model Critical Thinking 

As you make decisions throughout the day, talk through your process aloud with your child. By voicing your thoughts, you are letting your child in on the way you are evaluating options, making decisions, and thinking about information you receive. Taking this approach will model to your child the critical thinking they are developing for themselves. 

Rather than just talking to them about your process, make it more fun by turning it into a conversation. Engage your child in discussions where you demonstrate critical thinking skills, ask your child what they would do and why. By opening up the conversation, you can create new connections with your child.

Critical Thinking at Minnehaha Academy

Learning how to think critically is a key part of a Minnehaha Academy education.

Here are a few examples of how students learn critical thinking in the classroom (in order of images above).

1. First Grade Science Day: First graders spend a full day exploring science and  participating in design engineering challenges. In one engineering challenge, students had to create a hat to protect themselves from the sun using only a few materials. Using prior knowledge and the materials at hand, they worked together to create a hat that stayed in place on their head and would meet the imagined need of sun protection. When their initial designs didn't turn out as planned, they used the knowledge they gained to try the design again, only with a new method.
2. Physics Egg Drop: In physics class, Upper School students put their knowledge to the test by designing a form that would keep a raw egg from breaking during a two-story fall. Afterward, students reflected on why certain structures were successful while others failed to keep the egg protected.
3. Lego League Team: Coding, design challenges, developing solutions to real-world problems, consulting with experts, and evaluating source material are all part of the fun for our Middle School Lego League Team. Critical thinking is key to the success of this team when they compete against other teams around the state. Team members have the opportunity to work through failure, develop solutions for large-scale challenges, and learn how to work with others to successfully meet challenges.

About Natalia Jankowski, Instructional Coach

Natalia Jankowski, is an experienced educator and leader with a BA in Elementary Education and an MA in Instructional Leadership in progress at Bethel University. With over two decades of experience, she is a faith-infused, research-based educator, leader, and idea catalyst, committed to fostering excellence among diverse learners and faculty using brain research in practical classroom application. As a Christian educational leader, Natalia's faith fuels her passion for supporting education foundations, driving research-based change, and embracing supportive leadership. Her collaborative approach inspires effective teamwork, encouraging students to realize their potential and teachers to explore new ideas. Natalia encourages us all to investigate, contemplate and innovate.