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Chapter 14. Becoming Thinkers. Higher-level Thinking. Many types of higher-level thinking Comparing Construction support Logical reasoning. Teaching Children to Compare. Comparing Focus on similarities and differences Start with items for comparison Decide which characteristics to use
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Chapter 14 Becoming Thinkers
Higher-level Thinking • Many types of higher-level thinking • Comparing • Construction support • Logical reasoning
Teaching Children to Compare • Comparing • Focus on similarities and differences • Start with items for comparison • Decide which characteristics to use • Make 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/beliefs • Steps: • 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 • 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 taught • Comparing • 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