Reason, relate and think critically

The "traditional" education model became very good at teaching children how to be robotic "job-doers", who would grow into being robotic "job-givers."

In this model, children are rewarded for "memorizing" what they're told to memorize. They would receive passing grades when they "did what they're told".

Although, memorizing facts and doing what you're told has its place, it is very limited in effectiveness.

For example: I teach my kids how to memorize Bible verses. However, memorizing Bible verses, without teaching them how to reason through those verses, and relate to what's being said, greatly limits my children.

This is the reason why we give our families a take-home quiz with questions during our weekly family Sunday School lesson. The questions are designed to bridge the gap between the rote memorization of their weekly Bible verse, and the reasoning together with questions concerning that verse. The reasoning together, is the family time. It gives children their OWN opportunity to think critically, and ask questions about what was taught.

This also gives the parents an opportunity to create critical thinking moments as they ask questions WHY, and encourage their children to do the same.

By taking away the element of critical thinking, problem-solving and the ability to ask why, we put our children in a "box".

The old nursery rhyme said it best:

Peter, Peter pumpkin eater,
Had a wife but couldn't keep her;
He put her in a pumpkin shell
And there he kept her very well.

Peter put his wife in a BOX - the "pumpkin shell" - and wouldn't let her out. Let's not be the parent that puts our kids in a box, to never let them out.

Encourage them to...

• THINK outside the box.
• THINK critically.
• THINK about how to fix current problems, and prevent future ones.
• THINK why, and ask why. This will help them find THEIR why.

If we, as parents, are continually fixing and solving all of our children's problems, they will never learn how to fix and solve their own problems.

If we are always feeding our children the answers, they will never learn how to THINK and give their own answers.

They will end as adults who only know how to do a job or give out a job.

Instead, let them enjoy the struggle of the fixing, solving, and thinking through things. It's good for them to find the reason why.

And this type of training IS a biblical principle. The Lord desires for us, to reason together with Him. It's why we can be certain that we have a REASONABLE faith. The Bible says in Isaiah 1:18...

Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

Praise the Lord, that He allows us to come to Him and reason together.