We had the opportunity to review a physical copy of The Basics of Critical Thinking, which is published by The Critical Thinking Co..
I like to watch my children think. Seeing them take information in, process it and then “spit out” what they have figured is a lot of fun. I will admit that sometimes, they get a little too smart alec for me, but it is just their minds hard at work; “getting better…stronger…faster.” A little 70s flashback.
I have read several articles that state college students lack critical thinking skills. They do not have the ability to know how to objectively review various details of a situation or determine if something is fact or just an opinion. Try having them put that into words on paper. Huh?
The Critical Thinking Co. is on a mission to develop the critical thinking skills in children. The hope is that their grades will improve; test scores will become higher, which will in turn lead to more success in life. Can one critical thinking book like The Basics of Critical Thinking do all of that? Probably not, but it is a great start for any child.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
The Critical Thinking Co. is a family-owned business that has been “empowering the mind” for more than 50 years. They have products that cover reading, writing, mathematics, science and history in which critical thinking has been woven throughout the lessons. Instead of drills and memorization, students are encouraged through fun and easy to use lessons, to “carefully analyze what they are learning.”
THE PRODUCT
We had the opportunity to review The basics of Critical Thinking, which is geared towards fourth through ninth grade students. Students are not just completing critical thinking lessons, they are learning the definition of critical thinking, the skills and how to apply them through the critical thinking process. Knowing the how and why behind the process makes for a better understanding.
There are 20 chapters that cover a number of aspects in critical thinking. You may see the table of contents and samples {http://www.criticalthinking.com/pdfcatalog/product/pdfview/id/226′}. The Although fallacies are taught, they are not the focus of the book. The lessons teach how to evaluate claims and arguments when they are presented in real-life.
FOR THE STUDENT
The student is being taught, but the learning is fun. The lessons are presented in an easy to understand manner, while continually being challenged. The student is able to work independently through the material.
FOR THE TEACHER
With there being only 20 lessons, you have the flexibility of completing them at your own pace if you desire to complete them within one school year. Something I really like is that the pages are reproducible, so River and Lily were both able to use the book.
OUR EXPERIENCE
My children do critical thinking exercises every day. I had River and Lily take the pretest, which gave them an idea of what to expect in the lessons. I also took the pretest. Critical thinking skills are something we all should keep fresh regardless of our age. Some of the lessons have three pages and as you move further in the book, there are more. I have them usually complete one, sometimes two pages a day. Since we do critical thinking several days a week, I had them complete other types of critical thinking exercises (ex: Sudoku, grids, etc.).
Having used other products from The Critical Thinking Co., I was not surprised we liked the book. It has been added to our critical thinking curricula.
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
The Basics of Critical Thinking is available for $22.99.
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You can read more reviews of this item by fellow crew members.
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