| The need to teach the next generation how to think | | | | watching television, compared with average daily |
| clearly in a search for solutions to complex issues has | | | | one-to-one conversation with school-age children of |
| perhaps never been more important than it is today. | | | | 9.5 minutes for at-home mothers, 10.7 for working |
| As Richard Simon, Ph.D., editor of Psychotherapy | | | | mothers, and less for fathers. |
| Newsletter, said, "the world is not burdened by an | | | | Challenge Your Own Assumptions |
| overabundance of wisdom." But it may be that your | | | | It is impossible not to share your perspective on life |
| child--with your support as a logic coach--is the one | | | | with your child. What you probably fail to tell them is |
| who helps us find a way out of the mess we're in. | | | | why you believe what you do. However, if you share |
| Unfortunately, there are pitfalls lying in the path of | | | | with her how difficult it is to evaluate conflicting |
| clear and accurate reasoning, which include these | | | | points of view and if you show her that arriving at |
| common critical thinking errors: | | | | conclusions takes some effort, she will discover that |
| - We interpret information to fit our biases and | | | | there are almost always several legitimate points of |
| assumptions because our ego has a stake in being | | | | view. She will realize that life is not black and white, |
| right. | | | | no matter how much we would like it to be |
| - We think we know more than we do and can hold | | | | otherwise. |
| strongly held opinions without any facts or | | | | I call this way of teaching clear reasoning the "why, |
| knowledge to support them. | | | | what, where, when, who, and how" approach. |
| - We accept most statistics without question (unless | | | | Make certain your child learns the basics of |
| they support the position of an opponent). | | | | government and other institutions |
| - We tend to accept the logic of conclusions offered | | | | According to a new million-dollar survey by the John |
| by authorities and experts. | | | | S. and James L. Knight Foundation, almost a third of |
| - We don't read the small print. How do you become | | | | high school students, upon hearing the actual text of |
| a logic coach for your child? Here are three ways: | | | | the 1st Amendment, thinks it goes "too far." In yet |
| Make Your Child More Important Than TV | | | | another survey, six out of 10 Americans failed to |
| As Lydia Bellino, author of Raising Lifelong Learners, | | | | name all three branches of government and fewer |
| notes, "it is through talk that children learn | | | | than one in 10 could name all four rights guaranteed |
| to"understand logical sequences, recognize causes, | | | | by the 1st Amendment. |
| anticipate consequences, explore options, and | | | | You will be a first-rate logic coach if you make |
| consider motives." Yet families in this country spend 6 | | | | certain your child (and you) are familiar with how our |
| hours a week shopping and 30 hours a week | | | | government was founded and what makes it run. |