ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP REASONING AND THINKING FOR OLDER CHILDREN

 

Inference and Deduction are important thinking skills which enable us to work flexibly in the world. They involve using information to work things out.

 

Inference: basing a decision on an assumption

Deduction: basing a decision on a known fact

Prediction: using available information to suggest a possible outcome

 

Detective Games

Working from pictures, get the children to be detectives and answer questions which require some thinking

• Provide a picture of a room with a high chair and ask the question ‘Do you think a baby lives in this house?’
• Provide a picture of a girl putting her wellies on and ask the question ‘Why is she putting her wellies on?’

Work from pictures first, talking through the possibilities and make explicit the relationships where necessary. Eventually extend the skill into other forms, spoken passages or reading.

 

Double Meanings

Understanding that many words can mean more than one thing. The context is what helps us to recognise the meaning

e.g. park

• I went to the park to play on the swing.
• I was fed up because I could not find anywhere to park my car.

 

Non Literal Language

Understanding that there may be a hidden meaning which isn’t made explicit

e.g. ‘I’ve been waiting for this bus for years’.

 

Similes

Comparing one thing with another

e.g. As dead as a doornail.

 

Metaphors

Application of a word to something not literally possible

e.g. Food for thought.

 

Idioms

An expression with a non-literal meaning

e.g. My mum has green fingers.

 

Sarcasm/ Irony

Expressing the meaning by tone of voice/manner of speech where this then contradicts the words

e.g. That’s a great idea (with non verbal communication suggesting the opposite)

During adolescence language becomes more sophisticated. It is often abstract and very specific to the subject being taught.

There is increased use of:

• Verbal teaching styles
• Sarcasm
• Prediction
• Justifying
• Comparing
• Inferring
• Problem Solving
• Idioms e.g The boot’s on the other foot; He calls a spade a spade; She laughed her head off

 

When a child or young person is unable to understand spoken language there may be an impact on their behaviour. The child or young person may:

• Opt out of class discussion
• Give up or walk out
• Have wandering attention
• Disrupt others
• Become withdrawn
• Become disaffected