"If we teach children everything we know, their knowledge is limited to ours. If we teach children to think, their knowledge is limitless."

If we ask children to use organized analysis to resolve problems, we are helping them to develop logical thinking and reasoning skills.

• “Why did you select that one?”
• “How are these different?”
• “What happened when you?”
• “What would happen if you?”
• “What can you do to make… happen?”
• “How do you think s/he feels about what happened?”

These types of questions develop critical thinking skills and stimulate verbal development as the children try to communicate their reasoning. It also provides them with the opportunity to reason during a discussion, an essential early cognitive development skill. STEM education fosters ingenuity and creativity while encouraging team work and problem-solving skills.

When children can solve problems, they build confidence and self-esteem. At Learning Pathways, we introduce Critical Thinking/STEM lessons in all our classrooms. The curriculum includes new concepts and activities for STEM learning experiences and provides materials for STEM centers. Our daily goal is to help children understand and put into practice these concepts rather than to just be told about them.