Successful parents, who possess awareness and a sense of responsibility toward their children and recognize the great blessing God has granted them through offspring, strive to do everything in their power to raise their children well. They aim to enlighten their minds with diverse knowledge, values, and high morals. They don’t just teach their children what they themselves have learned, but they also strive to push their children to become better versions of themselves—equipped with knowledge and skills they themselves did not acquire. They aim to provide their children with what is suitable for their environment, ensuring that they keep pace with the development and progress of civilization, ultimately achieving success in this world and the hereafter.
Since mental skills are among the most important abilities a person can acquire and develop to succeed in various aspects of life, they act as a compass that guides a person toward prosperity and success in both worlds. Therefore, parents must pay great attention to developing these skills in their children from an early age. When a child acquires thinking skills from a young age and is trained to use them, they will grow into a successful and distinguished individual capable of problem-solving, decision-making, performing tasks, and taking responsibility. This, in turn, leads to the development of a successful family that contributes to the success and prosperity of society as a whole.
If we teach a child how to think correctly, how to make choices, and how to make decisions while balancing the information before them, we have taught them everything they need for their life. Thinking is the foundation of success, and the maturity and soundness of thinking is the first step toward success and safety in life.
As Socrates said: “I cannot teach anybody anything; I can only make them think.”
What are higher-order thinking skills in humans?
Thinking is the totality of mental and cognitive processes and activities carried out by the human mind. Some of these are involuntary, such as thinking about everything one hears or sees, while others are voluntary, like thinking about a solution to a problem, performing a mathematical operation, or making a decision.
Scholars have categorized these skills in different ways, and here are the most important ones:
Problem-Solving Skill: This refers to the child's ability to find suitable solutions to problems they face. This skill begins in infancy, where the child may try to crawl to get what they want or attempt to climb down to free themselves from the feeling of confinement in a space. This skill continues to develop during early childhood, when the child might try to split a piece of candy into two halves to share with a sibling or use a chair to reach their favorite drink.
It continues into later childhood, where the child attempts to find solutions to problems they encounter with friends, tries to find ways to earn money when needed, persuades their parents to let them go on a school trip, and organizes their time between schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and chores assigned by their parents.
Creative Thinking Skill: This refers to the ability to find solutions, answer questions, or view reality in a way that differs from the usual approach. In other words, it involves thinking outside the box. For example, a child might think in a way that is different from how their parents usually think, solve a mathematical problem in an unconventional way, or discover new things with quick attention and keen observation.
Memory Skill: This is the ability to remember and retain names, places, faces, things, their locations, days, dates, and events. It also includes the ability to memorize the Qur'an, prophetic sayings, long texts, and poetry.
Analytical Skill: This refers to the ability to identify the causes and reasons behind events and changes that surround the child, as well as the ability to find logical explanations for the events and problems they face. Analytical thinking often starts with the word "because."
Synthesis Skill: This is the ability to connect and combine different things and events to reach a logical conclusion and convincing outcome. A great way to foster this skill is through puzzle games, which can be introduced to a child as early as one year old.
Practical Steps to Develop Thinking Skills in Children:
The steps for developing thinking skills vary depending on the child’s age stage. It is essential to divide the age stages into three phases:
- Infancy Stage:
This is the most critical phase because it forms the foundation for later development. Although the child does not yet have noticeable and clear cognitive awareness, which may lead parents to focus primarily on physical care, it is still crucial to follow these steps:
- Talk to the child as if they are conscious and aware, mentioning the names of objects around them such as types of food, furniture, and so on. Reading the Qur'an and stories aloud to them also helps in language development.
- Enrich the child’s environment by making it diverse and stimulating, incorporating a variety of sensory stimuli, including touch, sound, and sight.
- Encourage the child to be independent in crawling and walking by not providing help unless necessary, as long as they are in a safe environment.
- Ask the child to bring their diaper, clothes, and toys, and help them put things back in place. This engages and stimulates their memory.
- Avoid exposing the child to smart devices and screens, due to the well-documented harm they cause in inhibiting the development of neural connections. Instead, use household pets or go on short outings to engage or distract the child as needed.
- Maintain a social environment for the child, ensuring they interact with other children through play, which helps develop their social skills.
- Use games that develop intelligence, encouraging the child to engage in activities that promote analytical skills, synthesis, and problem-solving.
Early Childhood Stage (Ages 3-8)
During this stage, from pre-school to around age eight, it’s essential to consider the individual differences between children. Here are some key steps for developing thinking skills in this phase:
- Ensure a high-quality educational environment for the child, such as a healthy and academically enriching kindergarten or school.
- Maintain a positive social environment and help the child develop skills in choosing good friends and engaging in various activities with them.
- Answer all of the child’s questions in a logical, scientific manner, fostering their curiosity and critical thinking.
- Encourage curiosity by posing questions to the child and drawing their attention to things they may not have noticed.
- Assign responsibilities to the child, giving them age-appropriate tasks and allowing them to take on new challenges.
- Train the child to follow rules that ensure their mental and physical safety, helping them understand the concept of reward and punishment.
- Identify and nurture the child's talents and interests, expanding on them to develop skills and abilities.
- Respect the child's opinions and involve them in solving family problems, asking for their input on decisions in a way appropriate to their age.
- Avoid imposing detailed solutions to problems on the child. Instead, provide general guidelines and allow the child to figure out the best solution, while observing their progress. Encourage them to perform tasks in a way they find suitable, as long as they achieve good results.
- Develop the child's decision-making skills by helping them differentiate between good and bad, beneficial and harmful, through logical reasoning and weighing the pros and cons of each option.
- Expose the child to enriching experiences, such as visiting a zoo or book fairs, and encourage them to take notes on their observations after each outing.
- Go beyond school-based activities, encouraging enrollment in Quran memorization programs to strengthen their Islamic identity and pride, as well as participation in various sports clubs.
- Provide scientific explanations for the child about topics and phenomena they encounter, such as bodily functions, diseases, and natural events.
- Do not solely rely on school assessments to gauge the child's development. Parents should have confidence in their child and work with them toward continuous improvement, understanding that school evaluations are only partial assessments.
- Encourage daily reading and make it a habit, as every child who reads regularly will be successful and outstanding.
- Limit exposure to smart devices and screens. If necessary, ensure screen time is controlled, with time limits, monitored content, and follow-up physical and mental activities after screen use.
Late Childhood Stage (Ages 9+)
Many of the steps mentioned for the early childhood stage apply to late childhood as well, with a few additions and expansions:
- Keep the child away from social media platforms and games that harm their minds and waste their time, ultimately stifling creativity and productivity.
- Involve the child in more significant decisions, assigning them important tasks and asking them to take on more responsibility.
- Connect the child to a positive role model, such as a prominent figure from Islamic history (e.g., a companion or a scholar) who embodies values of success, charity, and excellence.
- Help the child find their path in life, even if that path may evolve over time. A strong focus on an area of interest, with care, attention, passion, and an understanding of the child’s talents, will lead to positive outcomes. This helps channel their energy toward creativity and success rather than confusion.
- Encourage intellectual activities, such as solving puzzles, engaging in competitions, and participating in activities that stimulate intelligence and problem-solving skills.
Conclusion:
Parenting is the art of shaping a person. Building the mind and character of a child correctly is much like constructing a building—brick by brick. Each "brick" must be placed in its proper place for the structure to be strong, beautiful, and complete.
This process is not easy; it requires the tools of knowledge and patience. However, these efforts will bear fruit in time, and the child you have nurtured, taught, and developed will grow to be a good, successful person who fulfills God's trust on earth. This will be a source of great reward for you.
The most valuable gift a parent can give their child is the development of their mental skills. This ensures that the child will succeed in all areas of life and on every level.
