Critical thinking skills ...

[Luanne]

I just finished reading The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way.  It stresses the need for critical thinking skills.  I was wondering how one would acquire critical thinking skills.  Can anyone help me out?

 

Thanks

[idnib]

I also finished that book recently. What did you think of it?

 

I think much of teaching critical thinking has to do with talking about books, math problems, etc. and expanding beyond what's given. Asking questions beyond the problem by changing it, asking "what if" or "why". Basically hanging out at the higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy:

http://www.teachthought.com/learning/249-blooms-taxonomy-verbs-for-critical-thinking/

 

On a more utilitarian level, you can get books like these:

http://www.criticalthinking.com/building-thinking-skills-level-1.html

 

It's also useful to solve puzzles like Sudoku, logic puzzles, etc.

 

I've had this open in a tab but I haven't had time to read it myself:

http://mres.gmu.edu/pmwiki/uploads/Main/CritThink.pdf

 

 

[regentrude]

We are trying to cultivate critical thinking in our family by encouraging questions and discussions from a young age on. We desire no blind acceptance of authority, no "because I said so"; we went to great lengths to answer the many questions our kids had. It was important to us to foster a climate where asking questions was not perceived as a nuisance or as challenging authority, but as a wonderful conversation starter and tool to learn. Exhausting, but an important mindset for us.

 

Our kids grew up witnessing adults engaged in intellectual sparring, debating controversial issue over meals, seeing people play devil's advocate.

On a practical level, we encourage independence in daily activities. Critical thinking goes hand in hand with problem solving.

And of course, there is always math! We use a curriculum that teaches critical thinking and problem solving in math like no other.

[DragonFaerie]

We are trying to cultivate critical thinking in our family by encouraging questions and discussions from a young age on. We desire no blind acceptance of authority, no "because I said so"; we went to great lengths to answer the many questions our kids had. It was important to us to foster a climate where asking questions was not perceived as a nuisance or as challenging authority, but as a wonderful conversation starter and tool to learn. Exhausting, but an important mindset for us.

 

Our kids grew up witnessing adults engaged in intellectual sparring, debating controversial issue over meals, seeing people play devil's advocate.

On a practical level, we encourage independence in daily activities. Critical thinking goes hand in hand with problem solving.

And of course, there is always math! We use a curriculum that teaches critical thinking and problem solving in math like no other.

 

AOPS?  Or something else for math?

[regentrude]

AOPS?  Or something else for math?

 

Yes, AoPS.