You’ve probably heard the Greek word “logos” used in a Christian sermon when the pastor, preaching from the Gospel of John, referred to Jesus as the “logos” or “Word” of the Father. According to a Greek Lexicon, the noun “logos” means “a word or discourse which embodies a conception or thought.” The English word “logic” for which the second skill of the classical trivium is named derives from the Greek “logos” and is most commonly defined as the “study of formal reasoning.” Therefore, one who studies logic is presumably capable of intelligent, reasoned speech.

The Ancient Greeks understood the logic of the trivium as both (1) informal logic like the reasoned, methodical conversations between Plato’s Socrates and his disciples and (2) formal logic as in the systematic principles of the syllogism (argument) of Aristotle. Socrates’ leading questions helped his students understand why they believed what they believed, but he never told them what to think. Aristotle devised a deductive method for determining whether the premises and conclusion of arguments were sound or unsound.

The motivation for learning logic in ancient, medieval, and colonial times was simple: to distinguish between good and bad arguments so that thinking and the resulting oratory were more effective. Contemporary classical home school parents have their children study logic for the same reasons:

to become critical thinkers who use language and reason to effectively communicate.

But the study of logic is not the starting point for teaching thinking. That comes much later when the child is ready to handle abstract thought.

So when do you start teaching your children to think? As soon as possible! Recent research points to the discovery that the brain’s capacity for rational thinking and problem-solving is established by the age of one! Children whose parents who have been actively speaking with them from birth have more complex networks of neurons which means they are predisposed to intelligence, creativity, and adaptability throughout life. In fact, John Chaffee, Ph.D., a pioneer in the field of critical thinking, states that “the number of words that an infant hears each day is the most important predictor of later intelligence, academic success, and social competence.” Talk to your babies!

Children are full of energy, curiosity, and imagination which are all essential ingredients to critical thinking. Any parent knows that one of the favorite questions of children and teens is “Why?” Children explore. Children wonder. Children imagine. Here are three tips for nurturing your child’s natural curiosity and expanding their minds:

Take their questions seriously.

“Mom, why do lightening bugs glow? Dad, why does an onion make me cry? Mom, why do bubbles disappear when I touch them?” Questions, questions, questions. Living with children brings never-ending questions, or so it seems. My 15 year old popped a doozy of a question on me about race and economics today after we volunteered in a downtown mission! Sometimes, you might be tempted to dismiss the constant questions because you are too busy or just too tired, but resist the easy way out. When you take your children’s questions seriously, you are showing respect and validating their worth. Trust is built, and they feel secure in asking more questions without the fear of condemnation for being “silly” or “childish.” Additionally, we all want to protect our kids from the harsh realities of life, but don’t avoid life’s most difficult questions if you sense that they are mature enough to handle the answers or even find that you don’t have the answers.

Expose them to other perspectives.

When we look at issues from another person’s perspective, we broaden our own understanding, recognize our bias’, and gain insights that we wouldn’t have otherwise had. This week the kids and I joined another home schooling family for some community service; our kids spent a couple of hours teaching hands-on science at a Christian mission in a very depressed area of town. After the workshop was over, I asked the neighborhood kids if they needed any help on their homework, and they excitedly pulled their assignments out. Each teen sat down with a child who was living in a different culture: different race, different economy, different family life. But the Lord gives us the power to cross cultural barriers, and our kids connected with these children on a heart level. The little girl that Meredith was helping asked her to sit with her during the meal that followed.

As we drove home that evening, Meredith reflected on the disparity between the material poverty of this neighborhood and the extravagant wealth of the suburbs. Seeing life from that little girl’s perspective had opened Meredith’s eyes to a new reality. We’ve been serving as a family in inner-city missions for years, but for some reason, this was the day that my daughter really began to empathize on a deep level. Introduce other perspectives early and regularly because you never know when the light bulb will go off, and a new understanding begin to take shape.

Talk about right and wrong.

I know I’m preaching to the crowd on this one, but use every opportunity to train your children in righteousness. One of the key factors in critical thinking is knowing what you believe and why you believe it so that you can listen to others with different opinions and evaluate alternatives intelligently. Some of their most difficult questions will be those involving morals. For instance, in Treasure Island, Long John Silver is morally ambiguous. He is an unrepentant murderer and thief, yet he cares for Jim Hawkins and protects him from danger. How can someone who is bad do good things? Use literature and movies as opportunities to discuss good and bad, right and wrong.

Teach them why you believe what you believe. Explore Scripture for answers to their questions. Here’s an example of a moral question that you might run across when you’re reading Scripture. In Exodus, the midwives lie to Pharoah’s servants about the Israelite infants that they failed to kill. Are there certain situations when the Lord allows deceit? Scripture is full of moral issues that you need to explore as a family so that the kids are ready to take a stand when analyzing other positions. Also make sure that you are ‘walking the walk’ and ‘talking the talk,’ too!

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Questions are really just opportunities for stimulating discussion. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need to answer all their questions. If you tell them what to think, you deprive them of the privilege of further thinking and likely end the conversation. Many of life’s most difficult questions don’t have easy answers, so don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” or to show your child how to discover the answer. Ask them questions! If you’d like to know more about how to use the Socratic method, read my article entitled “Ask. Don’t Tell.” In my next post, “Top 10 Traits of Critical Thinkers,” I’ll share 10 traits that all critical thinkers share.

 

Tags: Aristotle, classical trivium, critical thinker, critical thinking, Logic, logical thinking, Plato, reasoning, socrates, socratic dialogue, study logic, syllogism