HOTS skills: How does Novakid promote critical thinking in kids?

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According to recent studies by Novakid, 9 out of 10 parents have stated that the teaching approach is the most important decision-making factor when selecting a school or an education service provider for their children.

The Novakid teachers’ ability to interact with students and engage them in the learning process is based on an innovative methodology comprising three pillars:

a communicative approach
Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL)
focus on Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)

The focus on HOTS has been the recent innovation in English teaching. As defined by Grand Canyon University (GCU), “higher order thinking is a level of cognitive processing that involves critical analysis and reasoning skills beyond basic comprehension of facts”.

In other words, HOTS build on students’ existing language skills and ways of thinking by encouraging creativity, evaluation and analysis.

“Our unique approach is not only about teaching our students how to speak and write in another language,” commented Max Azarov, founder of Novakid. “Rather we wanted to ensure that our students developed 21st century skills such as problem-solving and reasoning. Our mission at Novakid is to empower our learners through challenging yet rewarding activities, through access to tools, technologies and exercises designed to stimulate critical thinking.”

Novakid has integrated HOTS into speaking lessons for their more advanced students. Children develop HOTS through a series of rich and engaging topics.

For example, the Virtual Explorer course enables students to explore historical and real places around the world with virtual reality slides. Besides learning a second language, students have an opportunity to discuss historical facts, propose solutions to global challenges and critically analyze their reasons.

Read more about Novakid’s methodology and English courses in this article.