5 Effective Steps for Teaching Critical Thinking

Welcome to Authentic Living Coaching
I’m Linda Codlin, Transformational Life Coach.

Welcome, My Friends.

This week I’m sharing how to teach critical thinking to someone who doesn’t know how to start.
Which is particularly helpful for training children to think logically.

The best way to teach any skill is to model the process yourself, out loud so the learner can hear and see your thought processes in action.
Allow time for questions and practice. Remember your student’s strengths may be different to yours, there really is no right or wrong ways to problem solve.
Give yourselves time to experiment with these steps.

5 Steps to Teach Critical Thinking to a Beginner.

1. Start with Curiosity (Ask Simple Questions)
Encourage them to get in the habit of asking:
What do I really know about this?
Where did this information come from?
What might I be assuming?
Example: If they hear, “This diet works for everyone,” ask: “Who said that? Do they benefit if I believe it?””

2. Break the Problem into Smaller Parts
   Show your student how to “chunk” a big issue into manageable questions and smaller parts of a project.
   Example: Instead of “My life is a mess,” break it down: “What area feels most out of balance—work, health, relationships?”
3. Use Real-Life Examples
   Work with situations they already care about (finances, health, work).
   Example: If they want to buy a car, compare options by looking at facts (cost, fuel use, safety) vs. just liking the color.
4. Teach Perspective-Taking
   Ask: “How might someone else see this? What would a friend, a critic, or an expert say?”
   This prevents narrow thinking and helps them see blind spots.
5. Practice Reflection & Adjustment
   After making a decision, reflect: “Did this work? What did I miss? What could I do differently next time?”
   Reflection cements learning and builds trust in their own judgment.

An example in action
If someone is struggling with whether to change jobs:
Curiosity: “Why do I want to leave? Is it stress, pay, growth?”
Break it down: “What do I gain vs lose by staying/leaving?”
Evidence: “What does the job market say? What are actual offers?”
Perspectives: “What would a mentor or close friend say?”
Reflect: “Does this choice align with my values and goals?”

The key is to model the process yourself first—let them hear how you ask questions and think aloud. Then gradually have them try it out until it feels natural.

Step #1 Curiosity.

“When someone’s curiosity has been squashed by past experiences (e.g., being told “don’t ask questions,” “that’s silly,” or punished for “getting it wrong”), they often equate curiosity with risk, rejection, or failure.
The key is to rebuild safety + permission so curiosity feels like play, not like a test.”

Create a safe space for “I don’t know”, Normalize not having all the answers: “It’s okay to not know- questions are how we discover new things”
By modelling it yourself with your language you can encourage a sense of curiosity and wonder. Say, “I wonder…” instead of “I should know”

Start small and keep the stakes low.
Encourage curiosity about everyday things, where there is no fear of being wrong. Making suggestions like, “I wonder why the sky looks so beautiful and different tonight?” or “What would happen if we tried baking a cake with a different ingredient?”
Make sure the outcome doesn’t depend on accuracy or being ‘right’ to build in confidence to try small new things and see how they turn out.
It’s about learning.

Shift the thinking from failing to experimenting?
When a mistake occurs, and they will as you learn, reframe it as gathering information that will help you make your next decision.
Try thinking about failing as giving you more data for when you try again.
It’s a lot like a child learning to walk, they don’t fail when they fall, they learn to balance. Make trying new things interesting and failings low key.

Celebrate the question, not just the answers.
Create an atmosphere that invites all questions by having an attitude of “there is no silly question, the only silly question is the one not asked.”
Offer encouragement for actually asking a question not so much the ‘correctness’ of the question. Say things like, “That’s a very thoughtful question.” or “I love how you’re thinking.”

Connect curiosity to their interests.
With gardening you could ask, “What would happen if we planted earlier or later, in the sun or in the shade?”
With music, you could ask, “How does this instrument make sound?” “Why do you prefer this sound, rather than that sound?”
This creates space for curiosity to feel exciting and personal without it intimidating.

Use the gentle ‘”what if…” playfully to build imaginative, expansive thinking in a safe way without any fear of being wrong.
“What if you saw the clock had stopped? What would you do about that? Why?”
“What if this problem was already solved- what would that look like?”
Allow curiosity to grow and blossom as they learn the first step to becoming a critical thinker in solving problems.

Curiosity grows when it’s safe, playful, and rewarded—rather than judged.

Curiosity Sparks.
Choose one question a day from this list. Make it an I wonder … activity without a right or wrong answer.
“I wonder what would happen if…?
I wonder why…?
I wonder what it might feel like to…?
I wonder how this could be different if I looked at it another way?
I wonder what’s possible if I let go of “should” for a moment?”
What’s going on here?
Describe what you see, hear, feel? What is likely to happen next?

Over the next few weeks I will continue to share insights into the next five steps to teaching critical thinking to start beginners learning how to problem solve.

Until next time: Use your curiosity to see what you don’t usually see, to hear what you don’t often hear, and to tap into your gut feelings about situations you witness.

oxoxo Linda.

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As a certified Life Coach, I help you to help yourself, so you can create a well lived life your way. 

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