Socratic Seminar  =  Critical Thinking

Socrates was an incredible Greek philosopher and thinker and his way of thinking has been a huge part of education for a very long time. Of course, children are naturally curious.

That is an incredible attribute, but as children grow older, social norms begin to deteriorate that curiosity and self doubt creeps in.

No need to fret though, there is a great resource for helping to change the way children think: Socratic Seminar.

What is Socratic Seminar?

Socratic Seminar involves the process of critically thinking, talking and reflecting. The seminar is when a group of students come together to discuss an open-ended question that could have multiple perspectives and solutions.

This is all about arousing curiosity, engaging in problem solving skills and critical thinking through conversation, reasoning and in the case of our youngest children, this can all be done through play!

Socratic Seminar for Younger Children

The basis of a socratic seminar is questioning everything. Again, children are naturally curious.

We all know the age when a parent hears the word “why” at least 100  times a day or even in a minute!Well, here’s where the socratic thinking comes in-don’t answer them! Restate the question back to your child.

Allow them to reason out loud with you. Let them think for themselves!

Even toddlers are pretty great problem solvers. Think about it. If they want to know how something works, they try it. We have all seen food thrown on the floor as they are engaging in cause and effect reasoning.

Their young minds are already processing this information, so allow their brains to think more critically by talking it through with you.

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