To adults, the concept of cause and effect seems very natural and understandable, but to children, especially young children, this idea is still difficult for them to grasp. But the concept of cause and effect should be taught to children as early as possible because this concept is very important if they go to school, even more important for their daily lives. Parents play an important role in helping their children understand this concept.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Teaching Infants and Toddlers to Know Cause and Effect
Step 1. Interact with your child
Even newborns can understand cause and effect. For example, if they cry, someone will come over to feed them, change diapers, or comfort them. Make the most of this situation by responding to your baby and interacting with them in natural ways so they can start learning. Make funny facial expressions to make your baby laugh or pick them up if they want you to hold them.
Step 2. Offer toys
Babies and toddlers love to learn while playing. Therefore, provide a variety of toys according to their developmental stage. Your baby can learn that a sound will be made when they shake the rattle, or your toddler can learn that their toy light turns on or makes a sound when they press a certain button.
Step 3. Introduce the concept of cause and effect through conversation
As your child grows and understands more things, you can develop their understanding verbally. For example, you could say, "Oh, you didn't finish your lunch, this is why you're hungry again now" or "Oh, you held the balloon so tightly that it burst."
Step 4. Show it to your Child
Toddlers will be better able to understand cause and effect through real action. Prick the balloon with a needle and show what happens or take your child to the sink and fill the glass with water until it overflows. After that, ask your child what happened and why. Repeat again using other objects in the house and in different ways.
Method 2 of 2: Teaching Preschool-Age Children and Older to Understand Cause and Effect
Step 1. Teach your child vocabulary related to the concept of cause and effect
Explain that a cause is an event or action that makes something happen and an effect or consequence is something that happens as a result of the cause just described.
Once your child is older, teach more new vocabulary. For example, you can teach the words "effect," "result," and "cause," as well as words needed to form cause and effect sentences such as "therefore," "as a result," "so that," and so on
Step 2. Use the word “because
Show the relationship between cause and effect by using the word “because” in conversation to give children a better understanding. For example, you could say, “Your shoes are dirty because you stepped on the mud,” or “The air in our house is cold because we left the windows open.”
Step 3. Explain why cause and effect relationships are important to understand
When your child is older, demonstrate the importance of the principle of cause and effect in various ways. We try to find the causes of bad things so that we can eliminate them and create a better life; we try to find the causes of good things so that we can apply them and maximize their effects.
When your child starts school, try to emphasize the scientific application of the principle of cause and effect. Scientists always use this principle (What causes global warming? Why do so many plants die? What will happen if we mix vinegar and baking soda?). So do historians (Why did the American colonies revolt? What happened after Cortez conquered the Astecs?)
Step 4. Create a T table
Table T is very simple and consists of two columns. Write the reason in the left-hand column, and write the effect in the right-hand column. For example, in the left column write “It is currently raining.” Ask your child to think about the possible consequences, the ground becomes muddy, flowers grow, school breaks in the classroom, the road will be jammed. Write these things in the right column of the table.
You can also use this T table to write each cause and effect through sentence construction. According to the example above, write above the T table “It is currently raining” not in the left column. After that, write in the left column, "The ground is so muddy because it's raining right now." In the right column, write, "It's raining right now, so the ground will be muddy." This method teaches two forms of expressing cause and effect: the “because” and the “then” form in addition to teaching the concept as well
Step 5. Play a game of cause and effect
One of these games is a chain of cause and effect. Choose an effect (say, “dirty pants”) and ask your child to think about the reason (for example, “I fell in the mud.”) After that, you (or another child) continue by saying the cause of the effect (“the time was it rains and the ground becomes slippery.”) Continue as long as you can. This game will help your child develop their understanding of the concept of cause and effect.
You can also do an easier game by using an imaginary effect (for example, “the dog barked really loud”) and then ask your child to think of as many causes as possible. Examples include “the dog barked very loudly because the postman came,” “the dog barked very loudly because someone was pulling its tail,” or “the dog barked very loudly because there was another dog nearby.”
Step 6. Read a book
Look for picture books with themes designed to teach the concept of cause and effect. Read this book with your child and then discuss the situation described.
Step 7. Create a timeline
For older children, you can draw a timeline using a sheet of paper. Choose a historical event, such as a war, and mark this important moment on the timeline. Relate these events to the concept of cause and effect.
Step 8. Teach analytical thinking
As your child grows older, their understanding of the concept of cause and effect will improve, so you can begin to inculcate deeper, analytical thinking. Ask why something happened, then follow up with “How did you know?” or “What evidence can you provide?” Try asking the question “What if?” to further develop your child's imagination: "What if we accidentally use sugar instead of salt in this recipe?," "What if the American colonies didn't rebel?"
Teach also the view that correlation is not a causal relationship. If there is no evidence that a particular cause gave rise to a particular event, this means that there is no causal relationship between the cause and effect
Tips
- There are many ways to develop your child's understanding of the concept of cause and effect. Choose the method that best suits their interests.
- The concept of cause and effect may be considered a simple and easy to understand concept, but it is very important. Understanding this concept will foster curiosity in your child about the way life works, which in turn will make them better equipped to tackle more complicated issues.
