Today it is widely accepted that young children are fully capable of learning to read, add, subtract, and use organized analysis to solve problems. Although some critics of preschool academics believe that early childhood should be limited to play, it is generally accepted that preschool children are capable and benefit from academic development. Whether you’re sending your child to an academic preschool, a traditional play-based school, or homeschooling, adding preschool academics to your preschool curriculum can have a significant impact on your child’s academic experience.
We believe preschool age children should have fun. Drill and memorization does not work, but well designed preschool activities can be stimulating, engaging, and fun. Like older children, preschool children love to learn and exercise their minds when properly engaged. Preschool material must be colorful, easily understood, sequenced in small steps, game like, and solvable in a short period. In addition, we encourage discussion and one on one tutoring.
We also engineer critical thinking into our preschool material to help engage students and teach them organized analysis. Discussion and critical thinking questioning strategy lead to deeper analysis of content. This makes the learning process more about absorbing and reflecting on all facets of the material in a natural and curious state. Here are a few examples of questions that invoke informal reasoning: “Why did you select that one?” “How are these different?” “What happened when you?” “What would happen if you?” “What can you do to make… happen?” “How do you think s/he feels about what happened?” These types of questions develop critical thinking skills and stimulate verbal development as the children try to communicate their reasoning. It also provides them with the opportunity to reason during the course of a discussion, an essential early cognitive development skill.
By designing critical thinking into preschool activities, we build self-esteem, lay a foundation for formal education, and develop a life-long love of learning. The Critical Thinking Company's early childhood products are fun, engaging, and effective. The products introduce young children to logic, reason, and critical thinking in ways that they can understand.
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