There are so many great reasons that you’ve chosen to homeschool your children. You’ve made sacrifices to assure they learn fully what they’re capable of and achieve their highest potential, both academically and personally. But in all the standard courses and lessons, are you developing your child’s highest order thinking skills?

You’re likely always looking for ways to challenge your child’s mind and help them grow intellectually. You might incorporate math puzzles, science experiments, and reading comprehension into your curriculum. But have you thought about how writing fiction stories could play a crucial role in developing your child’s highest order thinking?

When your child sits down to write a fiction story, they aren’t just stringing words together. They’re engaging in an intricate dance of creativity and critical thinking that taps into the highest levels of cognitive development. Fiction writing encourages your child to imagine worlds, characters, and scenarios that don’t exist in reality. This process of world-building stretches their creative muscles, pushing them to think beyond what they know and into the realm of possibility. They start asking themselves questions like, “What if…?” and “Why not…?” which are the seeds of innovative thinking.

Every story involves some form of conflict or problem that needs to be resolved. As your child writes, they must come up with solutions to these problems—whether it’s figuring out how a hero defeats a villain or how a character overcomes a personal struggle. This aspect of fiction writing strengthens their critical thinking skills as they evaluate different solutions, anticipate potential outcomes, and make decisions that move the story forward.

Creating characters with distinct personalities, motivations, and flaws forces your child to think deeply about human nature. They learn to understand different perspectives, which enhances their ability to empathize with others. This understanding of complex characters also mirrors real-life situations where they must navigate different viewpoints and emotions.

Even the most fantastical stories need to make sense within their own context. As your child writes, they must ensure that their plot is logical, their characters’ actions are consistent, and their world operates within the rules they’ve established. This demands a high level of critical thinking, as they continuously evaluate and revise their story to maintain coherence and flow. Writing fiction often involves multiple drafts and revisions. As your child re-reads their work, they assess what works and what doesn’t. This reflective process helps them develop metacognitive skills, which are essential for higher-order thinking. They learn to critique their own ideas, make improvements, and understand the value of persistence and growth.

To foster these skills, consider making fiction writing part of your homeschool curriculum. By nurturing their ability to create, analyze, and reflect through fiction writing, your child isn’t just learning to be a good writer. You’re equipping them with the tools they need to think critically, solve problems, and approach the world with an open, imaginative mind. And in today’s rapidly changing world, these are the skills that will help them thrive. Fiction writing is more than just another school course; it’s a powerful tool for developing your child’s highest order thinking. So, if you’re asking, “How am I developing my child’s highest order thinking?” consider the transformative power of writing interesting, engaging stories.