Formal Logic Resources (Age/Stage specific)

[HS Mom in NC]

When I searched "Formal Logic" there were discussions specific to a particular curriculum or a particular age. I'd like to start one that covers the wide range of options for all ages and stages in one place.

 

1. At what age or stage did you start formal logic with you child(ren)?

2. What formal logic resources have you used and at what ages and stages did you use them?

3. What did you like or dislike about each of them and why?

4. Were you following a particular sequence over the years or were you using a more eclectic approach to formal logic?

5. Were your formal logic studies integrated with other subjects or were they a stand alone subject?

6. Which resources were your best financial investments?

7. Which resources were your best time investments?

 

This would include instructional DVDs, books, textbooks, workbooks, activities, projects, games, etc. that teach some specific branch(es) of formal logic.

[Mommy2BeautifulGirls]

:lurk5:

[mo2]

:bigear:

[FloridaLisa]

When I searched "Formal Logic" there were discussions specific to a particular curriculum or a particular age. I'd like to start one that covers the wide range of options for all ages and stages in one place.

*I've copied your questions in blue.

 

1. At what age or stage did you start formal logic with you child(ren)?

 

Not formal logic, but I started used the critical thinking, puzzle books, and some very early logic in late elementary.

 

2. What formal logic resources have you used and at what ages and stages did you use them?

 

Formal logic: My oldest three used Nance/Wilson's Introduction to Logic in a co-op. The next year, I ordered the second book in that series as well as the Traditional Logic series and spent the summer comparing them. I decided to go with Traditional Logic in our home.

 

Informal logic: Building Thinking Skills Levels 1 - 3 by Critical Thinking Press; Orbiting with Logic books 1 - 3 by Prufrock Press; Thinking Toolbox and Fallacy Detective by the Bluedorn brothers.

 

3. What did you like or dislike about each of them and why?

 

After I found Orbiting with Logic, I decided to use those rather than Building Thinking Skills for the early grades. It's not busy work. It really helps them with vocabulary and ordered thinking. I do like the Level 3 Verbal Building Thinking Skills book. It teaches lots of vocabulary and has the student work with not only denotation but connotation, synonyms, antonyms, etc. My kids tend to have more time in the early years for these *extra* seatwork books and these make great additions.

 

Regarding formal logic, I decided to go with Traditional Logic because I prefer a word-based approach to formal logic. Introduction to Logic is symbolic logic. Both series cover the rules of logic (though I remember when comparing that TL covers a bit more?). I wanted my kids to work with verbal statements and assumptions, rather than symbolic statements and assumptions.

 

I could take or leave Thinking Toolbox and Fallacy Detective. I think TT is a fine 6th/7th grade book on evidence and assumptions, but it's not really critical. I think two of my kids read it after it came out, but most of it will become apparent through maturity (evidence sourcing) or after completing a good formal logic study. Logical fallacies are covered in Traditional Logic, so FD became redundant.

 

4. Were you following a particular sequence over the years or were you using a more eclectic approach to formal logic?

 

No formal sequence sadly! Mostly because new materials were published as my kids were aging through. Also I researched more, learned more and arrived at an idea of how I like to approach logic training.

 

5. Were your formal logic studies integrated with other subjects or were they a stand alone subject?

 

The goal all along was for formal logic to be one more tool to train my children how to think through issues, how to ferret out irrelevancies, how to assess evidence and sources (or the lack thereof), how to reason through and respond. So, my children have gone on to do debate (which is in my experience one of the absolute BEST way to train students how to reason) and take classes in apologetics, systematic theology and this year philosophy. Not all of my kids have had all of this. With 7 kids, we've had various resources/classes/opportunities available or unavailable over the years.

 

6. Which resources were your best financial investments?

 

Debate. Hands down best way to teach kids to research and think. And then in this order: Traditional Logic series, Building Thinking Skills Level 3 Verbal. (And this is no way minimalizes the ordered thinking and reasoning skills that come from studying a foreign language or grammar or math, but you asked about formal logic. Formal logic is part of the package for us but not the whole meal.)

 

7. Which resources were your best time investments?

 

Debate. And it's a HUGE time commitment. ::sigh:: But unless your child is involved in some other activity (perhaps like computer programming?), it's just the best way I know so far to train students how to think at this age. And kids can certainly learn to think without debate! BUT, it's a crash course with numerous opportunities each week to research, find evidence, argue, reason, refute, question, unravel someone's reasoning, think on one's feet.

 

Hope that helps,

Lisa

[julikins]

I'm actually just now reading the chapter in the Logic Stage section of WTM--the book :) 2009 edition. I haven't done it; I'm a year behind and didn't realize this was something I should be using. So anyway, here is what she recommends.

5th Grade--Critical Thinking Company books--Building Thinking skills-start with Level 2 unless your child is having trouble. Then move on to Level three. Or do some Mind Benders.

6th Grade--Critical Thinking Company books--Critical Thinking book 1 and 2

7th Grade--Either Memoria Press's Traditional Logic 1 (if your child is ready for it) or The Art of Argument

8th Grade--Either Memoria Press's Traditional Logic 2 or Memoria Press's Traditional Logic 1 (she says that if your child doesn't just love logi, to leave it at that and not pursue the study of logic anymore.)

Since I'm starting with a 6th grader--I'm just going to do the first three years in the progression I think. Maybe move it back one year and do Traditional Logic 1 in 9th grade. Not sure yet.

[happypamama]

We do some of the Critical Thinking Company's materials sometime between ages 4 and 6, depending on the child, because we happen to have them (the two Can You Find Me? books).

 

We did CryptoMindBenders from CTC last year with DD, 5th grade.

 

This year for sixth grade, DD will be trying Art of Argument; if it turns out to be too much, we'll wait a year or so.

 

We're eclectic when it comes to logic, but there's a lot of informal logic that goes on too -- puzzles like Sudoku, games like Chess, Latin. . .