ABSTRACT
Thinking has to be learned in the way dancing has to be learned. (Nietzsche 1888)
Philosophy is good because it gets you to use parts of the brain you don’t use in other lessons.
(Karl, aged 10)
‘Why is speaking and listening important?’ I asked a group of 9-year-olds. ‘It helps to think,’ said Andrea. ‘It helps to build your brain,’ said Dan. ‘You learn more,’ said Pat. They were surely right. Human intelligence is primarily developed through speaking and listening. The quality of our lives depends on the quality of our thinking and on our ability to communicate and discuss what we think with others. Talk is intrinsic to literacy and to our ability to form relationships with others. It is the foundation of both IQ (verbal intelligence) and EQ (emotional intelligence). Every lesson therefore should include some time for ‘talking to think’.
