Critical Thinking Skills

-by Mimi Rothschild

Fashions in education come and go. As homeschoolers, we can usually ignore them. One of the areas that comes up repeatedly in different guises, though, is the question of critical thinking skills.

One year the pendulum swings so far that educators are saying, “It doesn’t matter what they learn, only that they learn how to learn.” The next, it’s back to the basics, with rote memorization of facts at the center of teaching. Then we’re back to critical thinking, but calling it “problem-solving.”

The latest version of this debate is being called “21st Century Skills,” and some educators are hailing it as the most important new thing on the horizon. Critical thinking, creativity, problem identification, and the ability to work with others to solve problems are all part of this new constellation of skills that we’re told has arisen from new technologies and new ways of approaching the world.

As homeschoolers, we aren’t bound by educational fashions, so we can see that there’s nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

James 1:5 tells us, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him.” The source of wisdom is, and always has been, God, who created us with the ability to reason. The book of Proverbs talks often about critical thinking: “A simple man believes anything, but a prudent man gives thought to his steps.” (Proverbs 14:15) “It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way.” (Proverbs 19:2)

Critical thinking means that we read and listen carefully, making sure to understand and search for evidence for the claims made. We must be able to dissect the reasoning behind an argument and judge its validity. We should think creatively, since we are made in the image of the Creator God, and have the God-given the ability to think and to delight in new thoughts.

As for working collaboratively with others, we have the example of Jesus before us, as well as the word of God on the subject: “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:13-18)

So how can we help our students to gain the ability to learn, understand, reason clearly, and yet also to work with others to solve problems peaceably?

Read together, and use questions like these to guide your children toward wisdom:

• “What’s the main idea here?”
• “What evidence does the author have for his claim?”
• “Are these facts or opinions?”
• “Can we check on this information and find out whether it’s true?”
• “Are there other explanations for this, or other ways to look at this?”

Approach problems, such as puzzles, complex math questions, and practical challenges, with a spirit of inquiry. Questions like these will help lead your kids to take a critical thinker’s approach to problem-solving:

• How can we describe the problem clearly?
• How many different ways can we think of to approach this problem?
• Exactly what would the best outcome look like?
• What steps could we take to solve this problem?
• What kinds of information do we need in order to find our best answer?

Finally, we should make sure that we don’t confuse critical thinking with a rebellious spirit. “Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you,” says Proverbs 32:9. Our God-given understanding allows us to delight in learning about God’s ways, not to refuse the wisdom of God’s word.

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Mimi Rothschild is the Founder of LearningByGrace.org the nation’s leading provider of online PreK-12 online Christian educational programs for homeschoolers.