What is Abstract Thinking?

The ability to process ideas that involve complex visual or language based ideas that are not easily associated with concrete ideas. Abstract ideas are often known to be invisible, complex and subjective. What are visible and objective are concrete ideas, as opposed to abstract ideas. For instance, justice will be considered as an abstract idea while a police officer is a concrete idea.

One would require abstract thinking skills to study subjects like applied math, sciences and social studies.

A child with learning disabilities finds it difficult to understand how to go ahead with learning tasks, he may not be as strong as the rest in the field of abstract reasoning.

Here is a review that will help you understand why abstract reasoning is important when it comes to special education assessments and how it helps the student in the classroom and the world out there.

Let’s take a look at a few instances of Abstract Reasoning Skills

Understanding a subject on a higher level of complexity by analyzing and evaluating and applying knowledge in problem solving with the help of theory, metaphor or complex analogy come under the blanket of abstract reasoning tasks.

Getting a good idea of the relationship between verbal and non-verbal ideas is also a key part of abstract reasoning. For instance, predicting the outcome of an election is an example of abstract reasoning applied to a real world problem.

Students in a math class will work on such problems, even more often and get better at it as they age and master basic math.

The way in which Abstract Reasoning Skills work

Abstract problems are generally visual based and usually do not include social ideas. It is normally assessed as a part of intelligence testing. This test the students’ ability to deal with complex situations in the real world with the help of what they learn.

Common Core State Standards is one of the new educational standards that emphasize on students having to learn these skills. This doesn’t completely negate the practice of rote learning but helps students gain a different approach to life.

Students who are weak in abstract reasoning or are victim to cognitive learning disabilities can always benefit from direct instructions given to them when it comes to problem solving. Language therapy is also an option wherein the students can solve problems by understanding and using the language.

If you have a doubt as whether your child has a learning disability of some sort don’t hesitate to get it checked immediately. The thought, prevention is better than cure applies here. If detected in an early stage it will ensure a smooth sail for your child in his academic life. This doesn’t mean that it will be impossible for your child to incorporate abstract reasoning, he will only have to work harder than the other children, whether it is problem solving or understanding how ideas are connected.

Abstract Reasoning in Intelligence Tests

When it comes to an IQ test abstract concepts are less biased than the language based concepts. When children have been exposed to toys that help in the development of abstract reasoning skills, for example, blocks, tinker toys, geometric toys and the likes of it, they automatically improve their abstract reasoning abilities.

Irrespective of whether your child has a learning disability or not he would be at an advantage if he were introduced to the above mentioned toys early in life, since these toys serve as a source of entertainment as opposed to a task given to them.

Parent, you could use these toys with your children and get them familiarized with the concept of abstract reasoning and watch them excel in all aspects of life, whatever age they may be at.