- Definition
Critical thinking is when your child carefully thinks about information or a problem to understand it deeply, figure out what it means, and then make a good decision. It involves asking questions, looking at different ideas, and spotting unfairness.
When reading about a new toy, asking 'Who made this ad and what do they want me to think?' is using critical thinking.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: Critical thinking is like being a detective, looking for clues to figure out what's really going on in a story.
Ask your child: What clues tell you that this character might not be telling the whole truth?
Common mix-up: Kids might think critical thinking just means finding what's wrong with something. It's actually about asking thoughtful questions to understand something more deeply.
Examples
- Comparing two different descriptions of the same event to see what is different.
- After reading the first chapter, predicting what might happen next and explaining why.
- Discussing if a character in a story made a fair choice and why.
critical thinking is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
