RAISING A THINKING CHILD

 By Nina Chen, Ph.D.
Human Development Specialist

 According to the Justice Department's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), helping children learn to deal with problems and get along with their peers can prevent violence and teen pregnancy, dropping out of school, and some other problems.  The OJJDP office indicates how parents and schools can help reduce future violence by children and teach children to avoid antisocial behaviors.

Research shows that a lack of problem-solving skills can result in poor peer relations and antisocial behaviors.  How can we teach children to be a thinking child?  The OJJDP's four steps have helped children improve behavior and social skills.  These four steps are:  1)  planning actions and overcoming obstacles to reach a desired goal, 2)  making decisions based on the prospective risks and rewards, 3) figuring out different, unconnected ways to solve a problem, and 4)  thinking of possible results of possible actions.

Parents and teachers can use games or role plays to help children practice thinking skills.  For instance, give children a situation and ask them what they  would do.  If they choose one way what would happen and if they choose another way what would the outcome be.  Reading stories also can help children develop thinking skills.  Parents can use the story to ask children what happens, what the problems is, what the characters feel, how that makes them feel, what they would have done if they were these characters.  Then ask them to think of a different way to solve the problem. The open-ended questions can help exercise children's thinking and problem-solving skills.

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