Featured Lesson Plan Bundle: Reason, Reason, and More Reason!

"Though we may not be able to know that 'inside story,' there's generally some inner reason for what children do."  Fred Rogers

It’s sometimes a challenge to think of our kids as being rational beings. For any parent who’s sat through a tantrum, had a long-drawn out argument over toys, or just figured out that their child ate an entire box of cookies before dinner, it can be difficult to see a logical progression from one idea to another.

The logic and the reason are there, and our children are no doubt keen to have it be heard and understood. To satisfy a little thinker’s desire to be recognized, and to make it easier for us to meet them where they reason, there are a few assumptions we have to get over:  

·      That kid logic and reason are the same as grown-up logic and reason. Different rules apply to thinking as we grow into ourselves, and where we start out as little people is not where we end up as adults. We shouldn’t be waiting for logic and reason to show up or grow in. We should be marvelling at how different they can be from year to year.

·      That children just don’t have the vocabulary to express whatever logic and reason are there. They likely do have at least some, and whatever gaps exist can be filled with prompts. Children are language-learning machines, and will gobble up whatever new terminology we use with them.

·      That being reasonable and logical will deprive a child of their silly, innocent, imaginative way of seeing the world. Being reasonable doesn’t make a child any less childlike. If anything, it gives us a bigger window into their thoughts and feelings, and a chance to share in their experiences.

So how does a parent make space for reasonable, logical thought and communication with a child? What kind of framework can encourage this? Here are a few suggestions:

·      Make it very clear that you take your child seriously, and appreciate their contributions to discussions. Keep an open mind, practice active listening, and ensure that they get a turn to speak.

·      Set a rule that whatever ideas someone would like to contribute to a discussion need to be explained. Insist on their being a “because” with every big statement or opinion.

·      Explain that disagreement is fine (and necessary), but being mean or angry is not. There is no winner in a discussion, just a bunch of people trying to explore and figure things out together.

·      Express that if you don’t know, or if you change your mind while thinking through something, that’s great! Admitting this only opens things up for further exploration.

·      Don’t be afraid to be playful, hands-on, and creative. Logic and reason can be captured in arts and crafts, music, storytelling, games, and more!

Above all else, help your child to understand that logic and reason are not only useful tools, but they’re part of what make us human. Through them, problems are solved, relationships are built, and new things discovered and created!

If you’re looking for a place to start, or just some fun activities that focus on logic and reason, please enjoy our free lesson bundle, downloadable here!