Nurturing the Inner Socrates

Children of all ages constantly ask questions.  Some questions are asinine and repetitive which can drive a parent crazy.  However, some questions reach out and show that a child is trying to understand his or her surroundings.  How can we bring out the little Socrates or Plato in our children?

I came across a great site called  Teaching Children Philosophy.  There are 85 children’s books to choose from with topics and discussion questions.   Thank you Thomas Wartenberg, author of Big Ideas for Little Kids, for creating such a useful tool for both parents and educators.

With The Giving Tree by  Shel Silverstein, we are encouraged to ponder environmental ethics and our treatment of nature as well as happiness, giving and altruism, and the nature of love. 

In Mercer Mayer's There's A Nightmare in My Closet we are encouraged to examine the nature of reality and ownership and control.  

 

Reading to children is the best way to foster a love of reading.  Take it one step further this summer and have a philosophical discussion.  You may go beyond, "Why is the sky blue?"