Blog# 2

BLOG#2-SHOULD REASONING SKILLS BE TAUGHT IN PRIMARY SCHOOL?


Should reasoning skills be thought in primary school? Why or why not? I am strongly in favor of teaching reasoning skills in primary school and I will elaborate as to my reasons why as well as the reasons of the opposite opinion that those skills should be thought later in life.

I would like to start by defining the term reasoning skills and how do they relate to children. Reasoning skills are utilized in the decision-making process and refer to specific cognitive abilities, some of which include assessing probability and thinking systematically or abstractly. Decision-making is the process of choosing what to do by considering the possible consequences of different choices. Reasoning skills allow children to go through a clear and logical process when coming to a decision. They are than able to give reasons for having reached that decision. Reasoning involves explaining, opinion forming, decision making, interpreting and giving reasons. Reasoning is a key skill for problem solving therefore the ability to reason out a problem and then give a clear explanation of the thought process needs to be developed in children throughout their educational careers.

I believe that reasoning skills as well as problem solving skills are crucial and important tools for everyday life and decision making. Given that we are faced everyday with countless options and choices. These skills cannot only help us make the right decisions but also explain the reasons for our choices and the path we took to reach them.

In humans, the frontal lobe reaches full maturity in their early twenties, marking the cognitive maturity associated with adulthood. The executive functions of the frontal lobes involve the ability to recognize future consequences resulting from current actions, to choose between good and bad actions (or better and best), override and suppress unacceptable social responses, and determine similarities and differences between things or events. Therefore, it is involved in higher mental functions. For that reason some might argue the point that it is more effective to teach reasoning skills at a later age rather than at early childhood. I disagree I believe that Children at a young age have the capability to absorb information very easily their minds are like a sponge to illustrate the similarity. They are open to new ideas and can be introduced to new ways of thinking. As children mature they are less likely to except new ideas.

Another reason is that we live in an age that is describe by many the “Information Age” we are surrounded by technology within every aspect of our lives from computers and cell phones to electronic media and television. Although technology has made our life easier in many ways there is a flip side. We are constantly bombarded by media and advertisement that try to persuade us to buy countless products and services to make our lives “EASIER AND HAPPIER” according to them. It does not stop there however, given that the political process takes its place on our television and electronic media where the candidates are trying to sell us on their agendas and try to win our vote.

So how do we make the right decisions? The answer is reasoning skills. We judge the situation with the tools we acquired throughout our education and through a logical process come to our decision. For this reason reasoning skills can help us think for ourselves and be leaders and not followers. They give us the power to make better decisions as individuals and not follow and do what everyone else is doing (the herd mentality). Knowledge is power! The more we know the better our decision making process is. Accordingly we need to teach our children at an early age to think for themselves and not just follow their peers and be copycats. Let us educate a new generation of thinkers with the ability to reason and problem solve. Let us reverse the current reality where only 25% of the population thinks for themselves and 75% don’t maybe through education we can switch these numbers around. A world where people can make decisions and think for themselves will definitely be a better place for all of us.