Thinking skills books: Why or why not?

[Sahamamama]

I'm starting to plan out 3rd grade. I've noticed a "Thinking Skills" component in a lot of 3rd grade plans listed here. It was not on my radar to include in her year (as workbooks), so I'm wondering why? Why do we need thinking skills books? Or not?

 

I've been looking at many of them: Mind Benders, Perplexors, Venn Perplexors, Building Thinking Skills, Logic Safari, and so on. I think, "Okay, they look sort of interesting, but why?" There must be a missing chip in my brain, because I truly can NOT see the point? Because they're "fun" or something? [scratches head].

 

Now, Sudoku, I can see her doing that. She watches my dad do his daily Sudoku -- very interested in learning to do this! And Colorku, which is like Sudoku, only with colors instead of numbers.

 

Chess -- already in the cart.

 

Here's our list of logic games and activities (We have some, are getting others, and will build our inventory, LOL):

 

Checkers

Chinese checkers

Chess

Connect Four

Monopoly

Risk

Scrabble

Boggle

Quarto

Blokus

Tetris

Dominoes

Set

Duo

Secret Door

Clue

Mastermind

221B Baker Street

Tangrams

Logix

Scramble squares

Mazes

Crossword puzzles

Word searches

Sudoku

Legos (specific projects)

Snap circuits

 

If we do games and projects, do we need books? Help me see the logic of logic workbooks! If I only get ONE, which one do you recommend for 3rd grade?

[Arcadia]

We add this for my kids because they are not used to logic puzzles http://www.printable...gic-puzzles.php (free)

For my 8 year old, it helps to build up his patience in reading the whole problem and figuring out the clues, so basically improve his reading comprehension skills.

[Alessandra]

I think the thinking skills can be a real plus.

 

-- They make the child move from concrete to more abstract thinking. For example, if you have, say, six different cubes and are asked if a certain design can be built using those blocks, it is a different sort of challenge to figure this out by looking at pictures on paper than it is by moving a set of blocks around.

 

-- A number of the skills are simply different from what you can get in games. I am thinking of mind bender grids or verbal analogies.

 

-- They are fun and have no pieces to lose. :-)

 

I would try a few series to see what suits you. Imo, the Prufrock Press logic books and the Think-a-Minute books can be fun for anyone -- there is a variety of problems, never boring.

 

Some books could be boring for kids that naturally 'get' the idea of logic problems -- I would put Building Thinking Skills in this category. A bright kid might not be able to stand it (BTDT). But for slower kids, this is a fantastic book, because it builds skills slowly. For example, a page in a Prufrock book might have an analogy -- small black square: large black square is similar to small white circle: ???. BTS, on the other hand, will start with a section on describing shapes and then work up to the analogies.

 

Other books, like the Mind Benders grid puzzles can be extremely difficult for kids that are not logically minded, as each problem has multiple steps. One of my favorite logic series, Stepping Stones, requires such out of the box thinking that even the beginner level can be difficult for adults. (RR strongly suggests buying the answer guide, lol.)

 

BTW, I love your game selection -- don't know all of them, but many of those you have are favorites here. We also enjoy iPad logic games. (And there are a number of iPad Sudoku apps.)

[Paige]

We do some thinking skills for a few reasons that vary depending on the child. I want them exposed to the types of questions they will see on standardized tests. A lot of logic puzzles are simple if you've done a few but not intuitive for everyone. You won't get practice with things like this outside of workbooks and they frequently come up on IQ and achievement tests. I also think there's value in learning structured logic. It helps you to develop better arguments and to evaluate arguments more effectively. For some of my kids, they just need to practice thinking. I can't really explain it other than to say that these kids were absolutely horrible at basic problem solving skills. I'm talking about little problems in their lives- not math- and I hoped that by practicing problem solving on paper, they would be able to be more confident problem solvers in life. Not every kid needs help with this, but some of mine did, and it did help them to not become so scared or helpless in the face of normal everyday problems they encounter.

[Paige]

I want to add, that I wouldn't do them if I was short on time for other subjects. I would choose adding logic books and brain teasers as a supplement for a bright, quickly progressing child rather that choosing to add more of the same subject. I would prefer to slow the child down and instead of doing 2 years of math in one year, I'd spend the time doing one year of math and lots of brain teaser and logic time. I would not choose 1/2 year of math and lots of logic for a slow moving struggling child. I'd rather get through the year and skip the logic.

[mumto2]

Your game selection is great. Many of the game books are using the grid system. You can print a few online so they can see them. We have used far more games then books. Our favorite game brand is Thinkfun. Great logic games like River Crossing. We have logic books from sale tables which they do for quiet fun.

[8filltheheart]

My vote is no, you don't need them. Your game selection is great!

[Lori D.]

I don't think you *must* get thinking skills books. But they are a bit different from games and as a result do help develop slightly different mental skills. I used them as young as grade 1 and just called them "fun pages" (because anything that was called "school work" was automatically hated and rejected by one DS here -- LOL), and had a few pages a day available for solo work to keep one DS busy for a few minutes so I could work uninterrupted one-on-one with the other. Along about 3rd/4th grade, we often did 2 pages a day as part of our morning together time as a "brain warm up".

 

As for what the thinking pages help with:

 

- Mindbenders, Perplexors , Logic Safari series and Venn Perplexors specifically help develop analysis skills: identify clues and logical associations, mental organization, and deductive reasoning, which help with testing and problem-solving. The first 3 of those 4 books are all grid logic puzzles, and you can also find free grid logic puzzles online. The Venn puzzles help hone sorting and classifying skills -- you know, Venn diagrams.

 

- Building Thinking Skills helps develop specific skills in the sequence of first presented in a visual/spatial manner, and then in the abstract/verbal manner to help students develop the abstract thinking skills used in classifying, patterning/sequencing, and analysis, used in discussion/debate, support in writing, the sciences, algebra, law, etc.

 

- Blastoff with Logic series (Logic Countdown, Logic Liftoff, Orbiting with Logic) helps develop deductive thinking skills -- discerning clues, sorting, analyzing, combining. It overlaps somewhat in skills of the Mindbenders, et.al. and Building Thinking Skills books in building skills (sequencing, inferencing, deduction), but also introduces specific Formal Logic concepts (Syllogisms, If-Then Statements -- by the time you get to the last book, you even get exposed to Logical Notation and Illogical Reasoning).

 

 

The games you listed are fabulous -- we have many of them, too. :) They help develop a lot of skills:

 

- strategy and "thinking ahead" skills = Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Chess, Connect Four, Risk, Quarto, Blokus, Tetris, Dominoes

- vocabulary, spelling, word building skills = Scrabble, Boggle, crossword puzzles, word searches

- matching, sequencing = Set, Duo

- memory, logical deduction = Secret Door, Clue, 221B Baker Street

- reconstructing patterns, visual memory, shape and 3D thinking = Logix, Tangrams

- logic deduction = Mastermind, Scramble squares, Soduko

- engineering skills = Legos, Snap circuits

 

 

Do you NEED thinking skills books. No. But they can help develop the skills that the games don't: skills that are specifically used in test-taking, discussion/debate, analysis, and specific types of problem solving and deductive thinking skills.

 

You can call them "fun pages" and just have them as yet another resource for free time, and use less formal versions books of puzzles -- Gifted and Talented series (for grades K-3), or the Puzzlemania collections of the wide variety of puzzle types from Highlights magazine (for grades 1-5).

 

Or, you can use them to keep your 3rd grader busy for 10 minutes during school as a "workbox" or solo working subject that she does at the time of her own choosing during the day. If cost is an issue, download/print free ones, or have DD use free online puzzles sites.

 

Or skip it for now, play lots of games, and introduce more formal logic later on. It really is up to you, and the Earth won't stop spinning whichever way you decide. ;) BEST of luck! Warmest regards, Lori D.

[stm4him]

Thinking Skills workbooks (we use BTS) is one of the few places where I go outside of CC's recommended curriculum to add something I believe works very well. These books are mentioned in WTM and Teaching the Trivium but I use them starting at age 4. In fact, it has been the favorite workbook for my last three children (for my oldest they had more of a hands on kit and she liked most of that too). This is one of the things I have done every single year I have homeschooled (7 years now). I have four major reasons for using thinking skills books:

 

1. I grew up doing them in the gifted and talented program for my school and I was always a good test taker. I really think these help me prepare for testing and learn to think outside the box. And most of the time they were fun.

 

2. I taught 1st grade at a private Christian school that used Abeka. I thought the first grade math book and lessons were pretty advanced compared to what I had used in the public school with first graders and I thought they were well prepared for the standardized test. But in the test they had exercises similar to the ones in BTS and the kids FREAKED out to the point of crying. They were yelling that they were not prepared for this (didn't know how to do this, never been taught this, etc.) and I felt so helpless because I couldn't teach it at that point. If they had had some practice they could have done it. Even my brightest kids were freaking out. I knew then I would always have my kids do those kinds of activities.

 

3. I think it helps gently get them ready for formal logic just as oral presentations gently gets them ready for formal rhetoric. That way I hopefully won't have to push or pull them into the logic stage like SWB talks about sometimes.

 

4. It has a little bit of everything and I have often seen it teach activities that I don't have covered elsewhere and/or that are very helpful study skills.

 

We only do these once a week now instead of every day, but on that day we do about 4 pages at once (and they do fewer other subjects that day). It is mostly independent work once they can read. Some pages are too easy and some are too hard but it is all good practice. I help guide them through the thinking process when they don't naturally get it and I know when they see it again in the next book they will understand better how to reason through it. I don't grade their work until they come to the end of a chapter and then we take one day to go through the mistakes and fix them really quickly before moving on so I only have to look at their book at five times in a year or so. I really, really feel they are worth the money. One could do it on the computer with software but in our house we just always lean towards paper because I am more consistent with that.....

 

HTH!

[regentrude]

If the kid enjoys this type of thing - sure, add books.

If not, no, skip it- it is not the only way to learn critical thinking. They can learn that just fine if you cultivate a mindset of being curious, questioning things, asking for explanations, not believing what you don't understand, debating issues and opinions...

[Alira]

I don't think they're necessary, but we do use them as a fun 5-15 minute break between subjects. My kids aren't really into games (out of your list, they like chess, Sudoku, crossword puzzles and Lego), but my younger guys do like workbooks.

[LaughingCat]

No input on the "thinking skills" type workbooks but I would suggest Monopoly Deal? and Clue Suspect (both card games) instead of Monopoly and Clue esp if you have any kind of time lime or will be playing these games with your kids yourself. Clue Suspect (with all cards) is the fun (logic) part of Clue in a 15 minute game instead of an hour+ one trying to get your character to the "right" room.

 

Also ColorKu is a big winner here.

[ElizabethB]

We do a page of verbal and a page of geometric building thinking skills daily. They are good, we call them the "brain book" because it builds up your brain. They gradually build up to analogies like you see on a SAT test. That is one area that is not really covered in any other curriculum, although MCT does some verbal analogies at the higher levels. (But MCT just quickly explains them, these books teach you how to do them, teaching very explicitly how to do each type.) It is done very incrementally, I really like them. It only adds a few minutes to our day and they usually enjoy them. They can both solve the 3-D ones faster than me.

 

My son has this one, my daughter has the blue one the next level up.

 

http://www.criticalt...code=c&id=05241

[texasmama]

My kids and I have had great fun with Mindbenders. They encourage logical thinking in a fun way. It is learning without knowing you are learning. :)

[Ecclecticmum]

*Haven't read replies.

 

Whilst I do have Lollipop Logic (of which we'll continue through that series one at a time, then continue on through other Prufrock series) to me, yes thinking skills are quite important :p But I'll only use Prufrock ones (after Lollipop, I think comes Safari?)

 

What I think is MORE important (remember, my opinion) is creative thinking skills. I am always keeping an eye out for things that make you think outside of the box. Project-based learning is part of this. So I use Tin Man Press, Anti Coloring Books, and keep an eye out for similar products (I think we also have a book called Mind Sparklers, and last night whilst purchasing a couple of things I needed for C. off Currclick, I purchased another one that reminds me a little of the anticoloring books, but requires more writing, I think it was called Draw & Write. I will probably let A. narrate and I will write it down. I also have a bookmark list of instant challenges and creative problems.

 

The reason I think Creative Thinking is important is the current state of the world, plus looking toward the future. When my child grows up there is going to be a heavy need for Creative, Outside the Box thinking in the workforce. People who have flexible thinking, and can creatively problem solve or some at something from a completely different angle.

 

So whilst I, of course, think logic/critical thinking is important, I tend to leave it to one good series we do bit by bit (which will eventually change over to a more formal logic program later on), so I'm not overwhelmed and filled with logic stuff we won't use. I tend to more splerge on Creative Thinking & Problem Solving stuff, which isn't too bad to "splurge" on, as there is not much of it, lol, every now and again, I will come across another one.

 

JM2C ;)

 

xxxx

[kristinannie]

No, you don't need critical thinking books, but they can be a fun diversion during school! My kids really enjoy mind benders. I will usually give them some of those once or twice a week just to break up the other subjects and give them something a little fun. I don't think these are harmful, but I also don't think they are necessary! As homeschoolers, we are able to discuss books and many other things so I feel like the kids gain these critical thinking skills naturally! Honestly, I think that it is really important to teach kids to observe and look for patterns or interesting things. As Andrew Kern says, they need time to contemplate and behold things. I feel like kids who are only given comprehension questions without any discussion might need to work on these skills. These books also make great books to work on in waiting rooms or in the car. So, I guess I am saying buy them if you want to, but don't do them at the expense of other subjects or if they will add stress to your life!

 

I love your list of games. I just bought a couple! :hurray: By the way, you might really like Scotland Yard. It is a great game!

[Sahamamama]

Thanks, everyone! :thumbup1: