Four strategies for deepening kids’ thinking

We all want to give our kids the best chance to develop intellectually. Here's how we can get out of the way—and meet them exactly where they are—to boost the impact of learning experiences.

In this episode, I use the example of taking kids to the butterfly house at a science center, but these strategies can just as easily apply to informal or formal experiences at home, school, or anywhere in the community—no fancy memberships required. After I recorded the episode, I regretted not mentioning this because I never want to imply that families with fewer resources are less invested in their kids’ cognitive development. That’s clearly not the case, and these strategies are accessible independent of finances.

Here are the strategies:

1. Give lots of hands-on experiences to facilitate discovery.

2. Help kids put words to observations—“What do you notice?”

3. Turn kids’ observations into questions —“I wonder if/why/how/what…”

4. Let kids formalize their learning in their own time. Don’t rush to a conclusion!

Your turn to share below: What are your biggest takeaways from this episode? After you tried out these strategies, what were your wins with your child? Where do you have questions or need more support?