Critical thinking helps students understand information, question assumptions and make informed decisions. Australian parents can support these skills through everyday school activities without turning homework into another formal lesson.

Encourage children to ask questions when learning something new. During a science activity, ask what they think will happen before conducting an experiment. Afterwards, discuss whether the results matched their expectations and what might explain any differences.

Reading is another opportunity to develop critical thinking. Instead of asking children to simply retell a story, discuss why characters make particular decisions, what evidence supports their actions and whether alternative choices might produce different outcomes.

Mathematics also provides practical opportunities. When solving a word problem, encourage children to explain their approach, compare different methods and check whether their answer makes sense.

Parents can support reasoning during everyday conversations, too. Discuss different viewpoints, encourage respectful disagreement and ask children to explain their conclusions.

Importantly, avoid immediately correcting every mistake. Give children time to reconsider their answers and identify where their reasoning needs improvement.

Critical thinking develops through regular practice, reflection and curiosity.

Parents can also explore structured learning resources that provide opportunities to practise reasoning, comprehension and problem-solving.

EzyXam can support students preparing for assessments by helping families explore relevant academic practice opportunities.