Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#41

Post by tmaly » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 4:21 PM UTC

voisin wrote: post #9

I’d recommend reading up on Unschooling, even if you don’t plan to keep your kids out of school to Unschool. It is essentially giving them broad exposure to things, seeing what areas capture their imagination, and then supporting those areas as much as possible. Never forcing them to learn something because of how you feel something should be learned (which kills natural interest and excitement for learning) - they w…

Have you tried to Unschool kids?

What reading or other material have you enjoyed on this topic?

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#42

Post by jaequery » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 4:23 PM UTC

ChicagoBoy11 wrote: post #15

I had the pleasure to spend a few years with an incredibly creative family, in all domains (family unit consisted of nobel prize winner, renowned academics, award winning authors, artists), and the one thing which always stood out to me was how they had such a deep culture of rewarding curiosity, thinking, and exploration. I have no idea how conscious it was on the family's part, but it seemed like everyone in that f…

If the kids were indeed happy and were go-getters, then it appears the parents have raised their kids to take control of what they want to do instead of the other way around.

I just started reading a book that talked about that, called "The self-driven child", and the main message of what the book is trying to say is, give your kids "control". Instead of telling them to do this or that, provide them choices and let them decide for themselves. And let them feel confident and not worry about failing.

Honestly, I'm still going through the book and curious to see how we can apply to our kids.

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#43

Post by tmaly » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 4:25 PM UTC

shireboy wrote: post #16

Not 100% sure what aspect of thinking you mean, but in general, Read, read, read. Figure out how best to do for your family, but for ours (4,8,11yo, but we've done this since the first was ~3): * Every night, read them out loud classic books slightly over recommended reading age. We started with Jungle Book, Riki Tiki Tavi, other Kipling, Bears on Hemlock Mountain, etc. These days we just finished Lord of the Rings a…

That mensa list looks great, thank you for sharing.

I have been trying to read to the kids as much as I can. It depends on homework and schedules. Right now we are almost through The Hobbit.

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#44

Post by tmaly » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 4:26 PM UTC

hosh wrote: post #25

The ideas I had been studying these days come from Carol Sandford. I am not sure how to summerize her work. In the case of developing a person’s (be they children, teens, or adult) capabilities, it comes in a couple ways: 1. First, linking intrinsic motivation with something meaningfully contributes to something outside of them. The catch? This is something the person chooses for themselves, based on what Sandford ca…

What books or resources from Carol Sandford have found most interesting?

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#45

Post by AnimalMuppet » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 4:27 PM UTC

tboyd47 wrote: post #2

Show them by example how to be skeptical without accusing people of lying, and mention often the many reasons why people say things that might not be completely true. Also, you need to make sure you yourself don't lie to them. A lot of parents still teach their kids to believe in Santa Claus. I know this is one of those cultural sacred cows, but I strongly think this should not be done. Kids need to be able to trust…

We told our kids that Santa was a pretend game that adults play.

But, um, I don't think we took the same tack with the Tooth Fairy. We told our kids that the Tooth Fairy recycled teeth - when they fell out of kids' mouths, the Tooth Fairy took them and gave them to babies that were just getting their teeth.

So I guess I'm a hypocrite :-(

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#46

Post by tboyd47 » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 4:28 PM UTC

natmaka wrote: post #18

tboyd47 wrote: post #2

Show them by example how to be skeptical without accusing people of lying, and mention often the many reasons why people say things that might not be completely true. Also, you need to make sure you yourself don't lie to them. A lot of parents still teach their kids to believe in Santa Claus. I know this is one of those cultural sacred cows, but I strongly think this should not be done. Kids need to be able to trust…

Santa Claus may be 'intellectually' useful starting from the instant the kid learns that is is a myth, because this may teach him that seeing everybody apparently believe in something doesn't preclude that, in fact, nearly nobody does. This may be of paramount importance when it comes to forming a critical mind. Moreover any human group is built upon myths.

Critical thinking is a lot harder than just saying, "Don't believe other people." You have to teach that people may be trustworthy in one area, but not in another. You have to teach when you can take a statement on face value. You have to teach how to be skeptical of your own judgments and defer to others sometimes. You may also teach them how to spot liars. These things require time to understand and I don't see that happening if you sabotage the process by openly betraying them in a huge way early on.

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#47

Post by tmaly » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 4:28 PM UTC

yboris wrote: post #40

I can highly recommend philosophy. I have not researched this area, but I am sure there are other organizations that encourage kids to become more reflective and to not jump to quick conclusions while thinking. Here's one: https://www.paradoxlab.org/ What's praise-worthy about this initiative is philosophy Ph.D. - level organizers: https://www.paradoxlab.org/our-team-1

I agree about philosophy.

I stumbled upon this book Big Ideas for Curious Minds: An Introduction to Philosophy when I was wandering the library on my lunch break last year.

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#48

Post by ivankirigin » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 4:28 PM UTC

Debate.

Learning how to represent both sides of an argument is both academically rigorous and opens kids to the idea that there are other sides.

You can do this at the dinner table, but also through formal debate clubs and classes. There are some doing this over zoom.

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#49

Post by tboyd47 » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 4:29 PM UTC

rlonn wrote: post #39

tboyd47 wrote: post #2

Show them by example how to be skeptical without accusing people of lying, and mention often the many reasons why people say things that might not be completely true. Also, you need to make sure you yourself don't lie to them. A lot of parents still teach their kids to believe in Santa Claus. I know this is one of those cultural sacred cows, but I strongly think this should not be done. Kids need to be able to trust…

I beg to differ about the lying. Do lie about unimportant things, let them try and figure out the lie, then confess (regardless of whether they figured it out or not). It becomes like a game, and if you do it right, in a lighthearted way, they will also trust you when it counts.

Wouldn't that also teach them to lie to you about things they consider "unimportant"?

Re: Ask HN: Teaching kids how to think?

#50

Post by seg_lol » Wed, Sep 30, 2020, 4:31 PM UTC

I constantly tell them verifiable lies, but you need to make them cute, fun and solvable. No one wants to solve riddles that are so obtuse as to not even try.

My six year old has the bullshit detector of a street smart teenager, not in all aspects, but in enough. I cried a little bit when she asked me, "how do you know that is true?"