In a world where schools are weighed down by standardized testing, it’s no wonder kids are asking how in the world they will use something they’re learning at school in real life. But you can provide the link between what they’re taught at school and the real world with the right books and activities. The Tuttle Twins series is a great way to start building a foundation.

Books to Teach Kids Real-World Principles

The Tuttle Twins series contains many books to teach real-world principles like critical, independent thinking, money and the economy, how history relates to today’s world, and more. If you’re wondering how to raise independent thinkers, this is the place to start.

Some books that teach critical thinking in the Tuttle Twins series include:

  • The Tuttle Twins and the Food Truck Fiasco – In this title, the twins’ food truck friends have had their businesses shut down by unfair laws, and Ethan and Emily have to think critically in order to come up with a campaign to garner support to have those laws overturned.
  • The Tuttle Twins and the Road to Surfdom – This adventure has the twins investigating a new road constructed to take travelers to Surfdom beach, which disrupts the entire community. The twins think critically about the ideas and hopes for growth that led to the road being built and discover the unintended consequences that sometimes don’t receive enough attention before an action is taken.
  • The Tuttle Twins and the Fate of the Future – In this book, the twins view a dystopian film and must think about ways to prevent that future of coercion from actually coming about.

The Tuttle Twins series also contains some other books to teach real-world principles, like The Tuttle Twins and the Miraculous Pencil and The Tuttle Twins and the Search for Atlas, which both teach about money and the free market. One thing that’s great about the Tuttle Twins books is that there are workbooks available to really help your kids dig into the real-world principles being presented. Additionally, the Tuttle Twins books are great jumping-off points for discussions about how what is taught relates to today’s world.

Activities to Teach Real-World Principles

A firm foundation can be built with books that teach real-world principles, but hands-on activities are also important. To teach finance, try using a mock market by creating a household economy to buy and sell items, teaching them how to allocate money, save, and decide what to spend money on. Practice creating fictional household budgets.

For social responsibility, try taking part in or organizing community projects like cleanup efforts in local parks. Collecting charitable donations can also be used to highlight civic responsibility and the need to shift social assistance from the public to the private sector.

Demonstrate critical thinking skills through case studies that involve analyzing real-world scenarios. Use current events to aid with this. Debate practical or ethical issues to help your kids improve their reasoning skills.

Do role-playing to help teach conflict resolution, and have kids get to work on improving an existing product with a focus on reducing costs or sustainability.

There is so much you could have your kids doing to learn real-world principles on your quest to learn how to raise independent thinkers. Take some time to check out some books to teach kids real-world principles and plan some activities today.