There are many ways to think: Well, let’s see, there is critical, creative, lateral, strategic, divergent, and…... There are thousands of papers and books written on the subject, and assessments, of every ilk, measuring how we think. Yet, parents, teachers and caregivers are most-often left without a clear direction on how best to easily bolster thinking in our young people. This post is based on excerpts from two publications I authored a number of years ago: The Nurturing Classroom and a chapter entitled Cognition and Cooperation: partners in Excellence-found in If Minds Matter a Forward to the Future
FRAME OF REFERENCE - a first consideration
For sure, we need a reference point, usually referred to as frame of reference, to assimilate new information. If we don’t have a reference point on which to connect the new information, It just sits there or disappears from the thinking field altogether.
For new information to become relevant we must be able to either link it to past experience or construct new meaning. Each time we are exposed to a new way to think about something, we add another strategy or path to our thinking abilities. If there is nothing in our past experience OR if we are unable to construct new meaning, we will not be able to make sense of the information.
As parents, teachers, and caregivers we can create an environment that promotes the development of more and more thinking paths. If we tell young people the why’s and elaborate on some of the how’s, rather than just telling them what to do, we help them develop new paths of thinking.
FOR EXAMPLE:
Style #1
Assume it is winter and Rob, an eight year old child, does not close the door completely upon entering the house or school room. Rob may be told: Rob, close the door. To a young child this is just another command to obey or get into some kind of trouble.Stylet #1 is a direct command.
Style #2
If the adult explains: Rob, close the door cold air is coming in. Rob begins to make the mental connection- if the door is open cold air is getting in the house or school room. The reason for the request starts to make sense. We can not assume the connection comes automatically.
Style #3
If the adult elaborates even further: Close the door, cold air is coming in. When this happens the house or room will get cold causing the heater to come on frequently. If this happens too often, the heating bill will be so high we will not have any money to take our vacation or field t trip to Disneyland.
Rob is learning about cause and effect, which is a critical element in problem solving. Some might say this is common sense. Consider the fact that Rob may not have the opportunity to learn common sense if his life is filled with direct commands.
In each of these instances the stimulus is identical. The adultt’s response is the critical factor in determining the child’s cognitive growth pattern. In other words, if a child is living in a command-only emvoprm,emt, where the reasons behind a given action are never explained, he may be living in the context of Benjamin Bloom's Taxonomy Level 1—Just the facts.
Obviously, it is not appropriate for adults to always give detailed responses. However, if elaboration persists over time a child’s memory bank will be filled with options. Frames of reference will abound. When presented with new information they will have a much better chance to make sense of what comes their way.
