CURIOSITY (Nurture Critical Thinking In Young)

The writer believes that a beautiful camaraderie
 makes life a wonderful journey.

            Christmas is in the air and for Christians around the world, it is the season of merriment, togetherness and prosperity. While adults are busy preparing for the festival, children are excited about unwrapping presents. And curious kids will be waiting under the Christmas tree or near a chimney, wondering, “Will Santa Clause really come down?

            When children ask questions, they are curious. This is the focus of the poem I Wonder by Jeannie Kirby. In the poem, the inquisitive child is impressed with the wonders of nature and he wishes there is an explanation for the extraordinary ‘work of art’. These children are young thinkers.

            I read Ahmad Faizuddin’s letter “Producing intellectual heroes” (NST, Dec 19) with pleasure, and agree geniuses are made, not born. When the sky is the limit, children are free to imagine and to expand their creativity. To encourage critical thinking, children should be raised in an environment that helps them think.

Bright children are produced by smart parents, who cultivate a reading culture at home. However, this practice should go beyond classic choices, including Aesop’s fables and Hans Anderson tales or Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales. Children born in the millennium may be more interested in Harry Potter series or perhaps, Roald Dahl’s collection of short stories.

Reading fiction helps children activate their thinking skills and make assumptions during the process. When children learn the reading habit early, they will grow up being avid readers who are passionate about learning and sharing new ideas. In fact, reading made the characters Will Hunting in the 1997 film Good Will Hunting and Hermioni Granger in Harry Potter  geniuses.

            Since all read and no play makes a child’s life less intriguing, parents should create a balance between reading and playing by introducing their children to fun, yet beneficial games such as Monopoly, Minecraft or chess. These games teach them to make decisions and be confident. 

Courtesy of New Straits Times

23 December 2014