How Critical Thinking Skills Develop in Children: An Age-by-Age Guide

The ability of children to make sense of their environment and develop problem solving skills is amazing to any parent. But have you ever wondered how they develop critical thinking skills, the ability to solve problems, think logically and make good decisions?

The Brain Behind the Thoughts

Critical thinking and the brain development are closely linked. As children’s brains develop, and in particular the prefrontal cortex which is responsible for planning decision making and complex thinking, the ability to think critically also develops. This is the basis for more complex problem solving throughout childhood and into adolescence.

The Early Explorers (Birth to Age 2)

Critical thinking starts as early as birth, however, there is little comparing to what older children are able to reason. Some of the initial experiences that the child has is what forms the basis of all the other cognitive skills that the child will develop in the future.

Sensory Exploration
For the first two years of life, babies learn through their senses. They find objects in their environment and put them in their mouth to feel, taste and manipulate them with their hands. For instance, a baby dropping a toy on the floor and then watching it fall is in a way asking what makes things do what they do. This process enables the baby to understand such concepts as object permanence and cause and effect.

Pattern Recognition
Between the six month and one year mark, babies begin to identify patterns in the world around them. They learn that crying results in comfort or that there are certain rituals that tell them it’s time to go to sleep. This is the beginning of understanding cause and effect, a fundamental concept in logical thinking.

Parent Pro Tip: Fill your baby's world with safe objects of different textures, shapes, and sounds. Those rattles and soft blocks aren't just toys – they're learning tools!

The Question Masters (Ages 3-5) 

At preschool age, children’s language skills, imagination and critical thinking abilities become more developed. This is when they start asking questions, coming up with solutions and generating ideas.

Curiosity and Question-Asking
At this stage, children ask a lot of ‘why?’ This shows their curiosity in understanding the relationship between ideas events and behavior.

Early Problem-Solving
At this stage, children are work on simple puzzles and following instructions that have several steps. They are also able to predict what will happen in a story or an activity as part of the process of developing problem-solving skills.

Imagination and Pretend Play
Pretend play becomes more complex and the child is able to engage in different scenarios and outcomes within their imagination. This type of play is useful in helping the child to solve problems and to see things from another’s perspective.

 Parent Pro Tip: When you read together, ask your child questions like ‘What do you think will happen next?’ or ‘Why do you think the character did that?’ These conversations help develop thinking skills.

The Logic Learners (Ages 6-8)

At the age of six to eight, children’s thinking becomes more systematic. They begin to understand basic logic and work through simple problems.

Logical Reasoning
At this age, children begin to understand basic logical concepts such as sorting objects by different attributes and understanding if-then relationships. For example, if it is raining then they will need an umbrella.

 Perspective Taking
Children are now able to put themselves in other people’s shoes and this is an important skill in problem solving, playing games with friends and empathizing with others.

Classification and Conservation
By this age, children are able to group objects in terms of their properties and understand the concept of conservation of quantities, that is, the quantity does not change even if the appearance changes. For example, when transferring water from one container to another, the quantity of water does not change.

Parent Pro Tip: Try simple science experiments at home. Even making predictions about which objects float or sink can spark amazing discussions!

The Abstract Thinkers (Ages 9-11)

At this stage, critical thinking advances to more complex levels as children are able to engage in abstract thinking and make reasonable conclusions.

Abstract Thinking
Children at this age are able to understand abstract concepts like justice, freedom and morality, analyze hypothetical situations and describe the probable outcomes of actions. For instance, they may think about how the change in the character’s behavior would affect the outcome of the story.

Evaluating Evidence
By the age of nine or ten, children are capable of distinguishing between credible and unreliable sources of information. They may start to question things like news or advertisements, but they still need help in evaluating information properly.

Early Metacognition
Children in this age group become aware of the processes that lead to their decisions. They may know when they do not understand something and ask for clarification.

 Parent Pro Tip: Introduce age-appropriate current events and encourage discussions about different perspectives. Brain teasers and logic puzzles are great for this age too!

The Deep Thinkers (Ages 12-14)

Critical thinking reaches another level with the early adolescent where complex problems can be addressed and there is a better understanding of metacognition.

Complex Analysis
Teens are able to look at issues from different angles and develop several possible solutions to the problem. They are also able to look at the advantages and disadvantages of a given decision and understand the consequences of such decisions in the long run.

Metacognition
Adolescents are more conscious of their thinking processes. They are able to sit back and think about how they come up with their conclusions and are more likely to recognize biases in their thinking.

Hypothetical Thinking
Teens are also able to engage in what if thinking and look at variables and their potential outcomes in a given situation. This is important in developing problem solving skills.

Parent Pro Tip: Encourage participation in activities like debate clubs or group projects that require strategic thinking. Complex strategy games can be can be very useful in developing these skills.

The Big Picture

Critical thinking development is not just about age but also by:

•      Social interactions with family and friends

•      Cultural background and values

•      Individual personality and learning style

•      Technology (the good and the not so good of it)

The Critical Thinking Journey: What Parents Can Do.

Here are some strategies that parents can use in supporting the development of these crucial skills in their children:

1. Ask thought provoking questions: Instead of ‘Did you like the movie?’ ask your child ‘What would you have done if you were the main character of the movie?’

2. Step back sometimes: Sometimes it is important to let them struggle with a problem before you help them. It is in the struggle that the learning is done!

3. Think out loud: Share with your child how you arrive at a decision or a solution to a problem. “I’m trying to decide whether we should take the highway or the local roads. What are the pros and cons of each option?”

4. Create learning opportunities: For little ones: Puzzles and building blocks..For older kids: Strategy games and brain teasers. For teens: Real life challenges like planning events or budgeting.

The Bottom Line

Every child develops at their own pace and that is completely fine! Our job is not to rush the process but to provide environments that naturally encourage critical thinking. Raising a critical thinker is one of the greatest gifts that one can give to the children in the present world.