Teaching Thinking

There are 3 things I believe in when it comes to teaching children to think:

1. You can teach a child virtually anything, even complex concepts if you bring it down to a level they can understand.
2. Never give a child absolute answers. The child sometimes needs to come to a conclusion by himself. Giving absolute answers not only kills creativity but it inhibits thinking.
3. Thinking is like sports. The more you practise, the better you will be.

Now that Ariel is approaching 5 years old, I noticed that certain analytical thinking skills and efforts on problem solving are emerging. Having been inspired by The John Langrehr Thinking Program, I believe creative and analytical thinking skills are really necessary for our world today. What would make a person stand out in our competitive society is soft skills as such, and not just encyclopedic knowledge.

Therefore, today, as I was reading the story Hansel and Gretal to Ariel, I've decided to expose her to certain analytical thinking skills. This is what we did, while reading the story:

1.Story: "Their stepmother said, 'Take the children deep into the woods and leave them there."
Ariel asks: Why does the stepmother tell the father to take Hansel and Greta deep into the woods?"
Possibilities (mom and Ariel explores together):
a. They are very poor, so they cannot feed the children.
b. Their stepmother does not want them anymore.
c. _______________________________

2. Story: Hansel dropped some stones
Mommy asks: Why does Hansel drop some stones? What can the stones do?
Ariel answers: The stones can help them find their way home.

3. Story: When their father bring them into the woods again, Hansel dropped some crumbs.
Mommy asks: Can the crumbs help them find their way home?
Ariel answers: No.
Mommy asks: Why?
Ariel answers: The crumbs have been eaten by the birds.

4. Story: The witch kept Hansel in a cage and gave him lots of food and made Gretal do the work.
Mommy asks: Why does the witch give Hansel lots of food?
Ariel: I don't know.
Mommy: Does the witch want to eat Hansel?
Ariel: Yes.
Mommy: What happens when you eat a lot?
Ariel: Becomes fat.
Mommy: When you become fat, you had more flesh right?
Ariel: Yes.
Mommy: Maybe the witch wants to make Hansel fat and have more flesh? When you're eating a chicken wing, don't you think it's more yummy when there's a lot of meat? Or do you want to eat the bone?
Ariel: Oh.... *enlightened*

5. Story: After Gretal pushed the witch into the pan of hot water, the children managed to find their way home. When they reached home, they found that their stepmother is gone.
Ariel asks: Where did the stepmother go? How come she is gone?

*Something's ticking here, as Ariel asks this question*
Mommy asks: What do you think?
Ariel shrugged her shoulders.
Mommy asks: Do you remember what happened to the witch?
Ariel: She died?
Mommy: Yeap. Hmm.... the witch died and now the stepmother is gone too.... Do you think there is a possibility that the witch might be the stepmother? (*I don't know why, I grew up learning that the stepmother is the witch)
Ariel: (thinking)
Mommy: Let's look at why the stepmother asks the daddy to bring Hansel and Gretal deep into the woods...
Ariel: Maybe the stepmother wants to eat Hansel and Gretal?!

P.S.: By the way, the book we used is "The Big Readalong Fairytale Book" sold by Marks & Spencer. It is a great first reader.