Building critical thinking skills

I heard a great story yesterday about one of our preschool Kindermusik students. Her mother had asked her what she wanted to dress up as for Halloween. "I want to be an green alien with antennas!" Puzzled by this unusual response, her mother inquired, "Don't you want to be a princess, like all the other girls?" The child's confident response was, "But I'm NOT all the other girls!"

I loved this story! I think it speaks of the creativity, individuality, and confidence that we try to nurture and grow in our Kindermusik classrooms. You may be working on academic facts with your child, but equally important are the creativity and critical thinking skills that will go beyond just academic facts. You can help your child with these types of skills by allowing them to guide your play time or explorations. Ask leading questions, such as, "What do you think will happen next?" or "How do you think that object would look if it could move?". Have fun with these types of questions. There really is no right or wrong answer. As your child grows more confident with this type of thinking, they will easily be able to apply it to more critical thought processes in the future. Whether it be in the area of music, pretend play, calculus, or Halloween costumes, don't miss the chance to encourage your child's creativity.