For most every event that occurs, there are reasons or causes for
why it happens. Thinking about the causes and effects of events helps
us understand a particular type of relationship between events.
Here's what you need:
Paper
Pen or pencil or
Computer
Here's what you do:
Ask your child to think of a moment in his life that he wishes
he could do all over again. What events led up to this moment? What
events followed this moment? Remind your child to focus on the critical
details of the event itself in explaining what happened and how he
felt. Ask him questions that will push him to consider how what happened
before the event may have influenced what happened later.
Then ask him to describe to you what he wishes had happened. Be
sure to have him summarize any lessons he learned from the experience
and what he might do differently next time. Emphasize the cause-and-effect
relationships that are evident in his description.
Keep going...
You might talk about cause and effect during family conversations
of current events. Are there any news stories that seem rather small
right now but that might get much bigger in the near future? What
are the signs that these stories may become more complicated? What
in the news stories allows you to predict what may happen?
