Should reasoning skills be taught in primary school? There already are and have been for some time now. Teachers teach in such a way to give information that is understood to be necessary. Well how do the youngest of children get "taught"? Ideally someone would engage with this child and communicate verbally. These sounds stimulate brain activity. As a child's brain is being stimulated they are creating a "reasoning" connection. What does it mean to laugh? What is a tree? Well when words are accompanied by pictures or actions and repetition that child is reasoning what the "tree" is. O.k. this is definitely the basis of reasoning, but it has to start somewhere. This child grows older and is brought to a structured facility with others at similar ages and continues to reason. Children are allowed to learn through trial and error by given choices. Through these choices and then consequences a child is reasoning. The curriculum has been designed this way for ages. I think it has just been the act of labeling these concepts as they are being greater realized. Socrates used reasoning as his main teaching method; he would probe his students by asking what they thought about any given thought process.
During certain eras of humanity, teaching was infact quite linear and one dimensional where the student sat and listened. Today teachers are realizing a much different approach. Teaching children that they have their own thought processes and choices is much more understood. I know when I was growing up I was definitely given choices, but I didn't actually realize that it was happening. Today children have access to websites to reinforce what they might soak in from a t.v. show. I grew up on pbs, but today my daughter can go to the library and log on to pbs kids and manipulate her learing process. This is her reasoning. I teach her that the information showed on this program is good and moreover; beneficial to her. Then she is allowed to develop her reaoning skills when she picks a game and through trial and error "reasons" what should happen next.
http://www.pbs.org/wholechild/parents/minds.html
The brain has the potential to develop quite rapidly if stimulated early and regularly. I found this rainbow preschool which appears to be just online; possibly for homeschooling, but it maps out brain development as a simple concept. Brain development and it's intricicies are in fact quite elaborate, but as with the rainbow preschool children strat out very simple. The key to teaching reasoning skills will actually lie within the awareness of facilitators.
http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/brain-growth.htm
I have 2 daughters; one is now 8 1/2 and the other 4 1/2. The older one didn't get as much stimulation during her earlier yrs as the younger one already has. I can tell a big difference. The younger one remembers things better and even realizes it. She says, "I'm smart! huh mom?" Well my older one wants to be smart she just doesn't seem to have as much brain matter so to speak. The more the brain is stimulated the more actual "matter" is in there. When each of them are talked to directly and probed to talk back through answering questions they seem to be more happy as well. I'm paying attention to them and showing I care about their reasoning of things. Children want this and actually crave it which is what ultimately defines behavior good and bad.
Teaching the acknowledgment of reasoning skills is probably the most acurate description. Once a child can determine that they are making reasonable decisions they will prosper through out life. They will want to make a choice about drugs, sex, music, fashion, career or any other thing good or bad.
I did a good amount of reaserch on this subject, but couldn't find anything bad about teaching reasoning skills. There are countless websites, articles, tips, and games promoting reasoning skills and brain development. I only found one article about negative effects, but it was about thinking negativly with an implication that reasoning skills should be taught at the primary level.
http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/negativethiking.htm
This article is actually positive though in that it is alerting people of negative thinking and how detremental it can be to all. With brain training anyone can learn to be a positive thinker. Therefore reinforcing the necessity of teaching reasoning skills in primary.
I understand that many parents and caregiver could argue that taking an aggressive approach to teaching reasoning skills can be harmful to young children. The teaching style will determine if a skill is beneficial, I think. Say a couple decides to have a child, but are very serious about their child learning a certain way of life. These parents decide to start very early and teach reasoning in order to accomplish this. Well, if the actual child they have doesn't respond well to whatever tactics used the child could show adverse effects of such teachings. I'm not sure of how exactly any situation could go every one is different. However, there seems to be an overwhelming amount of proof of encouragment for teaching reasoning skills early.
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