If you want a fun way to build your child’s critical thinking and reasoning skills, one of the best games you can play is probably one you already know.

Would You Rather?

Just two options and one simple question:

“Which would you choose?”

The magic is not really in the answer.

It’s in the explanation.

One of the most common traps in 11+ verbal reasoning is surprisingly simple.

Most children understand the basic idea of synonyms:

• big = large

• quick = fast

• silent = quiet

But verbal reasoning questions are designed to test precision of thinking, not just general understanding. And that’s where associated words start causing trouble.

If your child is preparing for a reasoning test — verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, critical thinking assessments — it’s very easy to become obsessed with scores, timings and getting the right answer.

But the bigger opportunity is often being missed, because reasoning isn’t about the correct answers.

It’s about how you came to find an answer. It’s about how you think.

And arguably, the reasoning behind an answer is just as important as the answer itself. Maybe even more important if you care about the long-term picture beyond standardised tests.