Critical Thinking Book 1

[laurad1125]

Does anyone use this? For what ages?

 

My 6th grader is really struggling with this. He fights me on it but I'm not sure if he needs a curricula change or if it's just 12 year old attitude. We do it together and it seems I can get him to understand the lesson, but it's really hard for him. And his retention is poor.

 

I'm not sure if it's too hard or he's just not used to thinking hard. He tends to do the least amount of work he can get away with... :glare:

 

ETA: This is the book by The Critical Thinking Co. that is recommended in TWTM....

Edited December 28, 2010 by laurad1125
clarification

[MSNative]

We don't use it, but it's in my cart to buy for next month. Am looking forward to reading the responses.

[JennW in SoCal]

I HATED that so much we just abandoned it within a couple of months. It isn't well laid out, it is for a classroom and, well, ick!! Colleen in NS was using Critical Thinking. I don't see her around too much anymore, but maybe she'll see this and share her experience with it.

 

My middle schoolers loved Fallacy Detective. It is by no means secular and we are not on the same end of the Christian spectrum as the authors, but the explanations and examples of all the different fallacies is excellent and entertaining. My kids liked to point out the author's bias, and to me it was part of their education.

 

I also used Traditional Logic, which again is decidedly not secular. My high schooler could handle it easily on his own.

 

The Prufrock Press Orbiting with Logic book introduces symbolic logic. It is an inexpensive workbook, the last in the series that starts with Countdown to Logic.

[Swirl]

We've abandoned it too. :thumbdown: I'm ordering the Bonnie Risby series: Liftoff Logic, Logic Countdown, and Orbiting with Logic to start after New Years. I have Fallacy Detective on the shelf- probably will use it next year.

[Amy in CO]

We tried the book twice, and got stuck twice. Chapter 2 is difficult to grasp. I heard from someone on here to skip chap 2. We are trying it a third time, and are into chap 4, having skipped chap 2, and it is going much better. I am using it with my 6th grade son and a 10th grade daughter who is struggling with logic skills.

[Sunshine State Sue]

We used it in 8th grade. I believe it is marketed for 7th-12th grade. Although it is meant for a classroom, I was pleasantly surprised that it worked fine for us. We only did book 1.

 

Logic-For those using Critical Thinking Books 1 and 2-How's it going??

 

Critical Thinking 1 & 2... are these done out loud?

 

We used Mind Benders, Logic Liftoff series, and Perplexors before CT.

[laurad1125]

Guess which chapter we're in? Yep - chapter 2. We'll be skipping the rest of it and starting chapter 3 today. If that doesn't help, we'll move to the Logic Countdown/Liftoff/Orbiting series.

 

I'm so relieved to know it isn't just us!!!

 

Sue - thanks for the links. I should have searched before I posted.:blushing:

[razorbackmama]

I bought these for my 8th grader, took one look, and listed them for sale. There is NO WAY he'd be able to use them. I'm a pretty smart person, and my brain was hurting just from looking at it. I'm in college right now and recently took a philosophy class that had a lot of logic in it. The same material was covered. There'd just be no way one of my middle schoolers would be able to handle these books.

[Ohdanigirl]

I am using it with ds 11. For some reason he has done very well and loves this book. I think he really likes the one on one time too.

 

I was very worried about Chapter 2, after reading posts here, but we got through it. I can see why so many people skip this chapter though. Had I not taken Logic classes in College, and learned this method when preparing for the LSAT, I would have run away as fast as possible. I think it may help many to skip chapter 2, and maybe attempt it at the end.

 

I can already see me having lots of problems with ds 10. We may go another route altogether, which is fine since the books were just damaged by rain this past weekend. As I said, ds 11 seems to be a natural. He didn't even flinch when he began Mind Benders, where as ds 10 struggles through each problem. He (ds 10) is also a much more visual/hands on, less verbal learner.

 

Danielle

Edited December 31, 2010 by USDGAL

[watertribe]

For my 5th grader, we started the year with Mind Benders(he whizzed through 4 of those, so I'm out to get more) and then started Building Thinking Skills 2 (a lower level than the one you're talking about) which is for grades 4-6. It was challenging for him but he got through it all in a few months, so now I'm looking for the next one. I did buy the CD version, although it is supposed to contain the same material. I think you may have to go to an easier level book if this is his first exposure to logic. Let me add that my son is not math-y at all.