17th January 2025 All Posts

Supporting Critical Thinking in Early Years Education

In early years education, every interaction with a child is a chance to shape how they learn, think, and make sense of the world. We know how busy and demanding the role of a practitioner can be—I’ve experienced it myself during my time in the sector. It’s so easy to fall into the habit of focusing on routine care: making sure children are fed, clean, rested, happy, and comfortable. With tight ratios and never-ending to-do lists, it’s natural to slip into autopilot.

When children come to us with their questions and curiosity, we often find ourselves giving quick, immediate answers to keep things moving. But what if we paused and used those moments differently? These seemingly small interactions can be powerful opportunities to spark curiosity, encourage exploration, and build critical thinking skills.

In this blog, I’ll explore how we can shift our approach to support children in developing these essential skills. By guiding them to think, question, and explore, we can lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning, problem-solving, and discovery.

Encouraging critical thinking in children

Children are naturally curious. Their endless questions are a way of exploring and making sense of the world around them. As early years practitioners, we have the privilege of nurturing this curiosity and helping it grow into key learning experiences. By asking thought-provoking questions, we can inspire children to think deeply and develop skills that will support them and their learning throughout their lives.

Our role goes beyond simply providing answers—it’s about becoming explorers alongside the children. When we guide them to explore, observe, and experiment rather than offering immediate solutions, we transform everyday moments into exciting journeys of discovery. This approach sparks their curiosity and develops critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential for their future.

Encouraging children to think creatively means helping them generate ideas that are meaningful to them. Open-ended questions like “What if?” or “What else could we try?” invite children to imagine, visualise, and explore new possibilities. As they engage in these playful explorations, they begin to notice patterns, make predictions, and test ideas. These experiences help them understand cause and effect, group and sequence information, and build the foundation for logical reasoning.

Critical thinking takes this process a step further, as children learn to plan, make decisions, and evaluate their progress. This might involve adapting their approach when something doesn’t go as planned or reflecting on what worked well and what could be improved. By modelling these behaviours ourselves—planning, experimenting, and reviewing—we show children how to apply these strategies in their own learning.

Encouraging critical thinking is about more than just answering questions; it’s about prompting a mindset of curiosity and resilience. By guiding children to explore, experiment, and reflect, we empower them to take ownership of their learning and build the skills they need to continue learning.

Building positive and nurturing relationships

For children to truly learn and develop, they first need to feel loved, safe, and nurtured. Building positive relationships with children is the foundation of creating an environment where they feel confident to think, explore, and take risks. As practitioners, we play a key role in encouraging these connections and inspiring a love for learning.

Children learn so much from the adults around them, and by modelling curiosity and wonder, we can show them that it’s okay not to have all the answers. Saying things like, “I wonder why that happens?” or “Shall we figure it out together?” demonstrates that learning is an ongoing process. These moments encourage children to embrace exploration and develop creative solutions. Instead of jumping to the first answer, giving children space to think allows them to explore a wider range of possibilities and deepen their understanding.

Respecting children’s efforts—even when things don’t go to plan—is equally important. Mistakes are an essential part of learning, yet they can sometimes be overlooked or dismissed. When children feel safe to take risks without fear of judgment, they’re more likely to try new things and persevere when challenges arise. After all, learning from mistakes is something we’ve all experienced, and it’s often those lessons that stay with us the longest.

Taking time to help children reflect on their actions is another powerful way to build their confidence and self-awareness. Talking with them about what they’re doing, how they plan to reach their goals, and what they might change next time helps them develop a sense of ownership over their learning. By valuing their ideas, encouraging their curiosity, and celebrating their efforts, we can create a nurturing environment where every child feels empowered to grow and succeed.

Enabling environments enable critical thinking

An enabling environment is key to helping children develop their creative and critical thinking skills. By providing flexible resources that children can explore freely, we spark their imagination and encourage experimentation. These materials, combined with plenty of uninterrupted time for play, create the perfect conditions for children to test ideas, solve problems, and make meaningful connections.

Predictable routines play an important role in helping children feel safe and secure. When they know what to expect, they have the confidence to explore. However, it’s also important to build flexibility within those routines, allowing children the freedom to adapt, experiment, and try new things.

Another crucial aspect of an enabling environment is keeping significant projects accessible over time. Rather than tidying everything away at the end of the day, leave materials and creations out where children can revisit and build on them. It’s easy to see play as a mess, but often that “mess” holds a child’s greatest creation or most valuable learning moment. By embracing the process and providing opportunities for children to return to their work, we create an environment that truly supports exploration and discovery.

The role of the leadership team

Strong leadership in early years settings is essential for embedding an approach that nurtures curiosity and critical thinking. Setting leaders have the power to create opportunities for reflection, collaboration, and a deeper connection between practice and theory. By focusing not only on what children learn but also on how they learn, leaders can build a culture of curiosity and innovation that benefits both practitioners and children.

When practitioners take on the role of explorer alongside the children, they inspire children to think for themselves, take ownership of their learning, and develop a lifelong love of discovery. This shift in teaching and learning doesn’t just transform the experiences of the children—it has a ripple effect on practitioners and even parents. Imagine how rewarding your work could be if you embraced the curiosity of the children, seeing the world through their eyes and finding wonder in the everyday.

Adopting this approach creates endless teachable moments—not just for the children but for your entire team. It’s also important to document these incredible learning experiences as they happen. Not only does this support your ongoing planning for the children and your environment, but it also keeps parents involved and engaged in their child’s learning journey.

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About the Author

Content Marketing Executive at Connect Childcare