Question

How does play support the development of higher-order thinking in young children? How can teachers increase higher-order thinking by utilizing play in their classrooms, activities, and lessons?

Answer 1

It is so incredibly important that young children have opportunities to use their imagination. This can be done through quiet reflective times or through a variety of types of play. During play children pretend, experiment and explore using their body and all of their senses, with a variety of objects, in many different ways. The development of imagination and creative thought is one of the many reasons I feel so strongly about the importance of play. Additionally, it is important to point out that learning may actually be slowed by overly academic preschool experiences that introduce formalized learning too early.

Play provides the optimal chance to develop these higher level brain skills. Activities like doing paper and pencil tasks, screen time or flash cards do not offer the possibility to develop the imagination area of the brain. Offering varied activities for play and exploring with real objects, people, and nature gives the brain the ability to pretend and to gain knowledge about how the world works. These types of experiences add to developing essential brain connections and contribute to the knowledge needed for the process of creativity and problem solving.

Here are teaching strategies to enhance higher-order thinking skills in your students.

1. Help Determine What Higher-Order Thinking Is

2. Connect concepts

3.Teach Students to Infer

4. Encourage Creative Thinking

5. Use Mind Movies

6. Use Graphic Organizers