Huddle Up

We ask children to exercise this skill every day in a multitude of activities. It is important to know that observation is never practiced alone: observing always requires concentration. This allows us to maintain attention while we gather information and commit it to our memory. How can we encourage the development of observation skills in children? First, it is important that the type of game and the difficulty level chosen are adapted to the child. The environment must be conducive to focus; it is essential to limit sources of distraction and to make the child comfortable. Guiding the child by asking questions can also help. To stimulate observation skills, we usually gravitate towards memory games, sorting games, sequence games or puzzles of all kinds, and that is great! But observation can also be practiced with all our senses. There are a variety of materials and activities that allow children to listen, touch, taste, look, smell, etc.

Logical thinking develops as children interact with their environment. Initially, they develop their reasoning through observations, comparisons and classifications of objects to then establish what distinguishes them or what unites them. Several activities require logical reasoning: solving a 3-D puzzle, doing a scientific experiment, building a model using instructions or playing chess. All of these activities require reflection and concentration and even call upon the ability to develop hypotheses and deductions in order to develop strategies. Exercising reasoning promotes the development of the ability to solve all problems.