How To Develop Logical Reasoning In Kids
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We are all aware that a child’s brain develops 80-90% by the age of five. This is where they are most curious about things and consequently have a tendency to learn quickly. What most people don’t know is that during that time children develop an innate ability to think logically. They try to connect the dots between their curiosity and the answers fed to them during those years. The right guidance and a little patience can help evolve their ability of logical thinking to essential life skills that will help them at all stages in life.
Consider this example here –
When a four year old was asked to help an imaginary rat climb a tree so that it can eat mangoes, he suggested that the rat should get a ladder for himself.
On being told that the ladder might be too heavy for the rat, he replied that the rat should seek help from his friend, elephant.
Now even though it all might sound stupid to adults, it’s quite impressive how the young mind thought critically and connected the dots to find a solution.
But how did the child come up with either of the suggestions? It’s simple, his thoughts stemmed from observations. Logical reasoning is also based on observations to a great extent. Let us understand what logical reasoning exactly is.
What Is Logical Reasoning?
Logical reasoning or thinking may be defined as the ability to understand and imply the rules of basic logical inference in day-to-day activities. Observing, thinking in steps and finally deriving conclusions based on your observations and past knowledge refers to logical thinking. It involves the understanding of relationships, attributes and sequences that not only play a crucial role in informal learning but also help in everyday activities.
Now that we have a clear understanding of logical reasoning, let’s take a look at why it is important for kids.
Why Logical Reasoning Is Important For Kids?
Children grow up at a very fast pace. The knowledge and information that is fed to them both consciously and subconsciously, are deeply absorbed by them. While at play or dealing with a new situation, children come across certain circumstances where they don’t know what to do. It is obviously not possible to teach them everything. Thus, under such circumstances they need to think logically to understand a problem, find a solution or to resolve conflict.
Consider this example. A two year old kid was given a coloring book and crayons where drawings of animals were to be colored. Even though the kid wasn’t strictly told to keep the colors inside the outlines of animals, he did it to the best of his capabilities.
How did he know that the color should not go beyond the outlines? The answer is simple – logical thinking. In a similar manner, children tend to think logically and make sense of most things happening around them. This facilitates logical thinking in them if permitted. Why so? Because if you keep spoon feeding your child with every piece of information, they’ll not apply their perceptions and hence, will not grow.
How Is Logical Reasoning Beneficial For Children?
Logical reasoning can help children in the following ways –
- It is a good way to exercise young minds. Children tend to learn many important qualities such as patience, concentration and better retention ability while developing logical reasoning attributes.
- Logical reasoning nurtures critical thinking which is one of the most important life skills that helps one in numerous ways.
- While solving mathematical problems or real life challenges, logical reasoning facilitates easy resolution.
How To Develop Logical Reasoning In Children?
Now that we know what logical reasoning is, why it is important for children and how logical reasoning benefits them, let’s find out how to develop logical reasoning ability in children.
- Asking critical questions
The best way to encourage children to think logically is to ask them reasonable questions. - Worksheets and sequence games
Worksheets and sequence games usually have a set pattern that needs to be identified to find the solution. This gives rise to logical reasoning. - Treasure Hunt
Treasure hunt is possibly the most interesting game that involves deep logical reasoning abilities. This can be a great engagement for kids as well. - Organizing
You may ask your child to occasionally organize their belongings or their room all by themselves. They tend to experiment with different patterns and ways to arrange things that are a consequence of logical reasoning.
At MS Dhoni Global School, we design our courses for preschoolers accordingly so as to facilitate easy learning and development of young minds. This involves a number of life skills including logical reasoning, critical thinking, conflict resolution and more.
