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Critical Thinking and/or Logic Pre-K to 4th


CrystalM
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Mathmatical reasoning, balance benders and mind benders from the critical thinking company. Logic lollipop book 1 so far.

 

I really don't know how to describe them except that Mathmatical reasoning is.......math. :p. My son loves the books from the critical thinking company.

 

Perhaps someone else can describe them. Hth.

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I'm using the Math Analogies and Mind Benders (puzzles) book with DS from Critical Thinking Co. and Bonnie Risby's Logic Countdown, Liftoff and Orbiting series for my older.  Risby's series include analogies, sequencing, syllogisms, inferences and deduction activities in every book.  

 

Next year, DS will switch over to Logic Safari (Mind Bender-style puzzles) and maaaayyybe Lollipop Logic. I'm still mulling this one.  DS doesn't need as much exposure as DD, who tends to see unusual patterns/relationships, so I may just stick with the analogies and mind benders combo for him. 

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I tried the various books mentioned and they weren't a good fit for us. My daughter liked them, but didn't learn anything new from them. We use games - No Stress Chess, Pathwords Jr, Rush Hour, Castle Logix, Kanoodle, Mighty Mind, Gobblet Gobblers, Qwirkle, and so on. They develop multi-step logic processes without ever even seeming "school-y".

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Guest Shelbym

We are using "Developing the Early Learner" that came with the Timberdoodle curriculum.  My daughter loves it.  She usually asks to do page after page.  

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Lollipop Logic

Logic Countdown series by Bonnie Risby

Critical Thinking Co. has several different kinds of logic

Logic Safari

 

There are different games for different types of logic. Our favorites are:

Zendo for inductive logic (You don't have to use Buddhist vocabulary, you can ask, "What is the rule?" instead.)

Set

 

 

 

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I don't know anything about the curriculums people have mentioned, but we have this game called Ricochet Robot that is really great at helping kids/people learn critical think / logic skills. The basic premise is that you have 4 robots that need to get to different locations on the board (based on turning over a little tile), but the robots can't "stop" themselves. The only way they "stop" is if they hit an obstacle (e.g., a wall that's part of the board or another robot), and then they get to choose which direction to go next (on a grid, so options are L, R, up down), but again with the stipulation that they can't stop at a random place - they have to slide until they hit an obstacle. So your goal might be to get the blue robot to the blue triangle, but maybe you have to move the yellow robot somewhere first, so your blue robot can "bounce" off of him to get where he wants to go.

 

My five year old loves the game, though I often have to help him find the more complicated solutions (he sometimes is so determined on the robot that needs to get somewhere, that he forgets to use the other robots as helpers/obstacles). With older kids, there's a competitive/more challenging side to the game, because the actual rules have a timer and you also see who can get the robot to his destination in the fewest number of moves. So it's good for group play, but also for solitary (once they get the hang of it).

 

I like the game because the rules are easy to understand, but the game can be as easy/low key (like how I play with my 5 year old where we're a "team") to challenging as you want. I was actually introduced to the game in grad school, and it was challenging enough to keep us on our toes there, too. :) So this is just another option if you want to go the gaming route!

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Thank you for all of the responses. It looks like Critical Thinking Co. is where I need to look. Time to go order another catalog. :)

 

Subscribe to their emails. You'll get a 10% off + free shipping every hour and a half or so. I've heard that currclick has a bunch of their stuff, but I don't know which products, except that they didn't have the one I wanted.

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The Critical Thinking Company stuff didn't resonate with my kids. They really liked the Prufrock Press stuff though, especially Lollipop Logic when they were really little. We also have really, really liked Tin Man Press materials.

 

And I'll put in a plug for games. Games like Mastermind, Rush Hour, Chess, etc. are better for logic than the workbooks anyway, IMO.

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