Teach Kids to Think Again
Encourage children to embrace rethinking through weekly myth-busting discussions, iterative drafts with feedback, and avoiding early career identity fixation.
THE IDEA
B. Teach Kids to Think Again
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Have a weekly myth-busting discussion at dinner. It’s easier to debunk false beliefs at an early age, and it’s a great way to teach kids to become comfortable with rethinking. Pick a different topic each week—one day it might be dinosaurs, the next it could be outer space—and rotate responsibility around the family for bringing a myth for discussion.
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Invite kids to do multiple drafts and seek feedback from others. Creating different versions of a drawing or a story can encourage kids to learn the value of revising their ideas. Getting input from others can also help them to continue evolving their standards. They might learn to embrace confusion—and to stop expecting perfection on the first try.
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Stop asking kids what they want to be when they grow up. They don’t have to define themselves in terms of a career. A single identity can close the door to alternatives. Instead of trying to narrow their options, help them broaden their possibilities. They don’t have to be one thing—they can do many things.
When to use it
A parent wants to foster open-mindedness and critical thinking in their children during family dinners.
A teacher designs a writing assignment where students create multiple drafts and exchange feedback with peers.
A mentor guides a teenager exploring career options by emphasizing diverse skills and paths rather than a single identity.
An educator uses myth-busting activities in the classroom to help students question common misconceptions.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Weekly Myth-Busting Discussion
At dinner, a child brings a claim about dinosaurs and explains why they believe it. The family checks a suitable reference together and asks whether the evidence changes anyone’s view. Someone else chooses the topic for the following week.
Multiple Drafts and Feedback
A child writes a story and asks a classmate where the plot becomes hard to follow. They revise that passage and compare the two versions, seeing how feedback can improve a specific part of the work.
Avoiding Career Identity Fixation
A teenager who likes animals explores veterinary work, wildlife research, and education. A mentor helps them try activities and learn about each path without asking them to commit to a permanent identity.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
What myths have you believed in the past that turned out to be false, and how did you discover the truth?
How can you encourage a child to seek feedback and revise their work instead of aiming for perfection the first time?
In what ways might asking a child 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' limit their exploration of possibilities?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Think Again The Power of Knowing What You Dont Know (Adam Grant)