Critical Thinking by Harnedek: what does your day look like? Can I combine kids?

[RedHen6]

My 12yo dd is "catching up" in Logic (so to speak). She has been doing MindBenders puzzles, and she will probably have worked through all the "B" level books by the end of the summer. I have planned to start working through Critical Thinking next year (grade 7). How do you do this with your child? Read it together, or read it apart, then discuss? Any other options?

 

In addition, my 10 yo ds will be in 5th grade next year. He has worked all the MindBenders along with his sister. Is he too young for Critical Thinking? Have any of you combined children like this?

 

Thanks for any help!

Korrie

[RedHen6]

...anyone? ...anyone?

[amtmcm]

My DD and I read it together. Your 10 year old can probably do Critical Thinking if you think he's moved into the Logic/Dialectic stage of learning. If not, he might get more out of it if you wait but there's no reason he couldn't listen in. You might want to skip the "name calling" lesson with him as he may not have the discernment to keep some of those terms to himself. My 9 year old thinks she's hilarious when repeating bad words. :glare:

 

I divided the lessons up equally for 36 weeks and it worked out to about 2-3 lessons per week and we worked on them for about 1 hour per week. My DD loved it and we enjoyed the discussions. I held off on the Symbolic Logic section at the beginning of the year and completed it later as I felt she wasn't ready for it and I didn't want to frustrate her. We finished that lesson a few weeks ago and she totally got it and I was glad I waited. If your DD enjoys math she will probably take to the logic section easily, but my older DD dislikes math. She loved the sections on arguing and not getting duped.

 

Hope this helps,

[Catwoman]

:lurk5:

 

Just bumping this up for you, Korrie! :001_smile:

 

Cat

[SBP]

I've just bought it for next year, but I definitely plan to combine kids. I have a 10-year-old as well, and looking through it, I didn't see much, if anything, that she wouldn't be able to understand, nor did I see discussions to which she wouldn't be able to make a contribution.

 

From the Instructor's Guide:

 

Because of the differences in research findings (about the ages at which the ability to think critically develops), it was decided to aim the material in Critical Thinking-Book 1 at students of junior high school age and above. As it turned out, much of the material is also appropriate for upper elementary students, but this is an accident resulting from the choice of material which I thought best for getting a point across, rather than an attempt to make the book suitable for use in an elementary school.

 

And:

 

It is recognized that many students at and above the junior high school level have reading difficulties. Consequently, even though the content and interest levels of Critical Thinking-Book 1 are primarily at and above the junior high school level, the material is written at about a 5th- or 6th-grade reading level.

 

So I'm definitely going to try it with both kiddos and let them get out of it whatever they're able :).

 

Best,

 

SBP