Critical thinking is the ability of an individual to rationally analyze and evaluate arguments and logically reach a conclusion through independent thinking. Critical thinking is a multi-dimensional trait associated with rational, logical, and analytical thinking and is required in multiple domains. 

Children are born curious; hence, teaching critical thinking skills from a very young age is super easy and flexible. Books, games, activities, applications, and other fun materials can aid the process. To further assist the parents in fostering critical thinking and bringing it into the day-to-day activities of children, we have curated a lesson plan for parents and their children. 

Before moving to the lesson plan, let’s see some necessary skills required for critical thinking. 

Let’s begin! 

Skills required to be a critical thinker 

A critical thought process is appreciated and demanded in personal, professional, and social life. Critical thinking is different from merely acquiring knowledge. A person can know plenty of facts and information, but that does not make him a critical thinker. Rather, how the person analyzes, evaluates, and concludes facts represents a critical thought process. Additionally,  it is not necessary to be a critical thinker from birth, rather the skills required for critical thinking can be developed with time.

Some necessary skills for critical thinking are- 

1. Ability to analyze 

The ability to analyze requires breaking down the information into small parts and thoroughly assessing every part. The analysis is fundamental to critical thinking and leads to empirically tested and fact-based conclusions. 

2. Observation 

Observing, rather than seeing, is the core of critical thinking. Observation involves actively using all our senses and viewing the world to understand and perceive it uniquely. 

3. Curiosity 

The innate need to ask questions represents curiosity, which should be nurtured and fed throughout life. Curiosity leads to insights that deepen the knowledge and assists in evaluating and analyzing the information. 

4. Open-mindedness 

Keeping an open mind and extensively evaluating every part of the information without letting any bias creep in is at the core of critical thinking. Open-mindedness assists people in focusing on broader aspects rather than dealing with shallow components. 

5. Clear communication 

Critical thinkers don’t assume; they communicate. Clear communication involves stating one’s facts and actively listening to others’ points of view to objectively evaluate and reach conclusions based on the information from all the parties involved. 

6. Objectivity 

Objectivity is super important to be a critical thinker. Critical thinkers keep their personal views, attitudes, emotions, and beliefs aside and consider relevant research-based data, facts, evidence, and knowledge. Critical thinkers keep their subjectivity and personal biases away when analyzing and evaluating things. 

7. Ability to inference 

Analysis and evaluation are useless if we cannot reach an inference. Critical thinkers ensure that after thoroughly analyzing and evaluating the information, a sound, and valid inference is made for making sense of the information. 

Critical thinking lesson plan 

The skills mentioned earlier are an important prerequisite for critical thinking. Keeping that in mind, we have curated an in-depth and comprehensive critical thinking lesson plan for elementary school children. The lesson plan will foster the necessary skills for critical thinking and teaches children to use critical thought processes in daily life. 

The major objective of the lesson plan is to enhance critical thinking skills and the ability to apply the same in day-to-day life. 

The lesson plan begins with a supplementary activity that can easily be performed at home without additional material. The activity focuses on motivating children to brainstorm and engage in decision-making. In the activity, the child is presented with various clothing, accessories, and footwear options, and the child is encouraged to choose one suitable from each category for a birthday party. 

Parents can foster critical thinking by asking questions like ‘Why have you chosen this clothing?’ or ‘why the other clothing is not suitable’, and so on. It will allow children to reflect on their thoughts and reach a conclusion. 

Activity 1: View Point 

Activity ‘view point’ is the perfect blend of enhancing children’s knowledge, refining their reading skills, and nurturing their critical thinking. In the activity, children have to read an age-appropriate book, and once they are done, parents can facilitate a discussion on the book. The discussion will help children critically engage in analyzing the book, reflect on its learning, and reach a valid conclusion. 

In place of a book, news piece, hypothetical situation, or any method can be used. You can also refer to the list of critical thinking questions to ask children and hold a discussion. The only necessary condition is a critical discussion on the topic. 

Activity 2: Dumb Charades

Cultivating and honing critical thinking skills is fun and engaging with interesting activities children can participate in, such as Dumb Charades. You need some art materials for the activity, such as pens, colors, paints, papers, blocks, etc. Now, without using any words, children have to express themselves with the help of art material. Coloring, painting, acting, building, etc., everything is allowed but words. 

Challenges to critical thinking 

Critical thinking is characterized by actively exploring different dimensions of arguments, rationally verifying the arguments, and coming to a conclusion. The process seems easy, although it is not that easy and direct in real life. Various factors influence our thought processes and impair our ability to think and infer critically. 

Some common challenges to critical thinking are- 

1. Personal opinions 

An individual holds multiple opinions and beliefs. Though not every person holds the same point of view; rather, there are as many opinions as there are individuals. These personal opinions affect how we think and feel and in a result, impact our ability to think critically.

It is important to keep personal opinions and beliefs aside and objectively analyze, evaluate, and conclude the arguments. 

2. Heuristics 

Heuristics are mental shortcuts that make everyday reasoning easy and quick. However, heuristics are also prone to errors resulting in faulty decision-making. While critically analyzing the arguments, relying less on heuristics and more on evidence and facts is best. 

3. Confirmation bias 

Confirmation bias is a human tendency to conform to the arguments that support one’s original point of view and avoid the arguments that do not support one’s point of view. It can lead to impaired judgment of arguments and faulty decision-making. To be critical of one’s thought process, it is better to identify one’s confirmation biases and keep them in check. 

Strategies to effectively cultivate critical thinking 

Some strategies that can tackle the challenges mentioned earlier and foster critical thinking are as follows- 

1. Look for evidence 

Whenever presented with an argument, look for the evidence that backs it up. Ask yourself questions like, is the evidence relevant? Is the evidence strong enough to support the statement? Or is the evidence authentic? Pondering upon these questions will ensure that judgment is made critically. 

2. Find credibility 

Critical thinking does not rely on any evidence. It should be authentic and hold some value. Before making an inference, critically evaluate if the sources are authentic and not just the result of personal beliefs and confirmation bias. 

3. Reason through logic 

Though different, logical thinking and critical thinking go hand in hand. To think critically, you need to be logical in your evidence and inferences. Incorporate sound logic in your analysis and evaluation while thinking critically. 

Bottom line

Lesson plans are a great way to make learning fun and engaging. The critical learning lesson plan is a unique and creative learning plan focusing on developing necessary critical thinking skills through fun activities. Children can easily engage in these activities from the comfort of their houses and spend as much time as they wish. 

Sehjal Goel

I am Sehjal Goel, a psychology student, and a writer. I am currently pursuing my Masters’s from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Child psychology has always fascinated me and I have a deep interest in learning about disabilities in children and spreading awareness regarding the same. My other areas of interest are neuropsychology and cognitive psychology. Connect me on Linkedin

The post Printable Critical Thinking Lesson Plan [PDF Included] appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

Even though critical thinking and logical thinking go far back in time, the differences are still very overlapping and not fully explored by contemporary research. And even if there are, not many people can correctly distinguish between the two. Whether critical thinking and logical thinking are the same or whether they have the same underlying processes, let’s explore them below.

The blog dives deeper into the root-level differences between those high-order cognitive functions alongside their examples.

What are the basic differences between Logical Thinking and Critical Thinking?

Logical Thinking and critical thinking are often used interchangeably today. However, both are higher-order cognitive skills needed for efficient functioning. Critical Thinking, as proposed by John Dewey, is reflective thinking. According to him, critical thinking involves careful consideration of a belief or information as per their supporting evidence. Dewey elaborated on the five phases in which critical thinking is undertaken: 

(i) taking suggestions, which are more solution-oriented

(ii) intellectualization of the difficulty, or turning the problem into a question for which answers are to be found

(ii) hypothesizing, or coming up with tentative answers to the problem

(iv) mental elaboration of these tentative answers or hypotheses, logical reasoning

(v) putting the hypothesis to test in reality or imaginatively

For him, critical thinkers possess some distinct dispositions, however, each individual has them at differing levels too. 

• Attentiveness
• Habit of Inquiry
• Self-confidence
• Courage
• Willingness to suspend judgment
• Trust in reason
• Seeking the truth

Dewey and several other researchers consider logical thinking to be an important phase in the critical thinking phase. Logical argumentation or reasoning is crucial to the study of critical thinking. Hence, both rationality and logical reasoning are the pillars of the process of critical thinking. Logical thinking engages itself with the correctness or incorrectness of a value or belief, using patterns and connections between concepts. 

So, while critical thinking wants to rely on skepticism and open-mindedness, logical reasoning binds itself with previously given facts and draws inferences and conclusions. And even though the process of critical thinking is vast enough to include 3 more phases, the 2nd last phase comprises all the processes involved in logical thinking. 

Is one more advantageous than the other?

Skepticism is the cornerstone of all critical thinking work, whereas evaluating the arguments arising out of this skepticism is a work of logic. Critical thinking isn’t just a mental ability, it becomes a habit, and the intellectually gifted are the ones who indulge in it more often. Logical reasoning, on the other hand, needs to be practiced by all of us most of the time. 

If accessibility is concerned, logical reasoning can be regarded as the more accessible branch of the brain. Using past patterns to derive conclusions is what all of us do on a regular basis, but introspecting, hypothesizing, and then carrying out the work to check a concept’s truthfulness that’s not something that can be done regularly. 

Critical thinking also involves more disagreements with others, as the use of skepticism is central to this thinking ability. Logical thinking, on the other hand, tries to find connections that make it a much smoother and socially desirable form of inquiry. 

The downsides of both the thinking modules explained

Critical thinking and logical thinking are considered to be superior to all forms of mental operations. This leads to a bias in our own thinking. Here are some downsides of the two:

Overly critical – Both logical thinkers and critical thinkers are taught to question and practice skepticism, which sometimes leads to heavy reliance on the critical mindset. A critical mindset promotes rationality at the cost of optimism and completely focuses on the negatives rather than taking a neutral approach.

Sidelining of emotions – The right hemisphere of the brain is involved with more emotional processing, and the left thinkers completely chuck out emotions when making decisions. Emotions can provide great guidance during important matters but are often overlooked due to the unnecessary criticism they get from critical and logical thinkers. In the present time, emotional intelligence is considered to be an important component of critical thinking.

Perfectionism – Perfection is a myth; however, for a critical thinker, this pattern of thinking becomes a lifestyle and involuntary behavior. Often individuals with perfectionist tendencies are dealing with an overly critical inner self and lack of satisfaction with themselves. Perfectionism leads to hypercriticism, which is the price most brilliant minds pay. 

Is there any difference in usage?

Critical thinking and logical thinking are controlled by the same parts of the brain – the left hemisphere. Both are important higher-order cognitive skills that one needs for survival. Even though logical thinking is a part of critical thinking, individuals resort to logical thinking on a daily basis. As it just involves the analysis of facts and deduction based on them, logical thinking is far more widely practiced than critical thinking. 

Many people, in order to save mental effort, use logical reasoning rather than the initial 3 phases of critical thinking given by Dewey. While scientists, when engaged in a scientific inquiry, follow all the phases of critical thinking, lawyers heavily rely on logical reasoning. Neither of them is wrong; with different professional demands, different cognitive processes are put to work. 

Differentiating through examples

Can an individual be both a logical and a critical thinker? 

As per the classic theory of critical thinking, for a person to be a critical thinker, logical reasoning is a necessary prerequisite. But can the same be said for a logical thinker? Absolutely! Logical thinkers and critical thinkers are not born with this manner of thinking, they are shaped through daily-life encounters. 

The present education reforms encourage critical thinking and just like John Dewey, consider critical thinking to be the ultimate goal of education. But what about logical thinking? 

Due to the overlapping nature of the two, a logical thinker is made out of a critical thinker. In the paper^[1] by Steven D. Schafersman, logical thinking as a skill constitutes the critical thinking ability that can be imparted to students through formal education.

Conclusion

Critical thinking is an over-arching term for a range of mental operations, under which falls logical thinking or reasoning. While logical thinking can be practiced independently of critical thinking, both of them exert crucial influence on each other. At the same time, the former is often more stressed upon as people think that it can be hampered amongst kids and individuals with learning disabilities, however,  Critical thinking is a larger process than logical thinking, and one can definitely improve on their critical thinking and logical reasoning abilities at any age. 

References

1. D. Schafersman, S. (1991, January). AN INTRODUCTION TO CRITICAL THINKING.

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post ELI5 The Difference Between Logical Thinking And Critical Thinking appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

We may not realize it, but we are constantly using our critical thinking ability in our daily lives. For example, any important decision in our life requires us to think critically before we arrive at it. Therefore, practicing and refining these skills is necessary. 

Kids do get opportunities to think critically as they go on with life, however, parents and teachers can encourage kids to use these skills by asking simple age-appropriate questions. In this write-up, we have prepared a list of questions that can boost a child’s critical thinking skills. Let’s look at them now.

Critical thinking questions for preschoolers/ kindergarteners

1. How would you feel if you cannot go out to play?

2. If you could visit a cartoon character, which one would it be?

3. Who do you want to pick you up from school – mom or dad, and why?

4. If you get a day off from school, who would you like to visit and what would you do there?

5. If you had to exchange a toy with your friend, which one would it be and why?

6. What do you think your mom does when you are at school?

7. If your pet could talk for a day, what would you two talk about?

8. If God wants to grant you a superpower, which one should it be and why?

9. Where is Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood and how can you find out how to get there?

10. What will happen to slime if you leave it out overnight on a table?

11. What do your toys do when you go to bed at night?

12. If you could change your mommy and daddy’s name, what names would you choose for them?

13. Why is it important to wash your hands when they get dirty?

14. If you had a shop, what would you sell?

15. Where would you go if you had wings to fly?

16. What would you enjoy more and why – going to the beach or visiting the zoo?

17. If your parents allow you to buy one thing for yourself, what would it be and why?

18. Would you rather eat a cookie or a slice of pizza?

19. How can you be nice to your friends?

20. What’s more fun – jumping in a muddy puddle or jumping in a foam pit?

Critical thinking questions for elementary students

1. What would happen to the world if there was no sun?

2. If the Wimpy Kid had no siblings, how different would his life be?

3. How can a person become an expert at something?

4. How are you different from other kids in the class? 

5. What would happen if there were no adults in the world?

6. If you could turn a historical figure alive, who would it be and why?

7. If you get to be a parent for a day, what changes would you bring to house rules?

8. How can you help a friend with studies?

9. How can you handle bullies in school?

10. What is the one thing you enjoy doing when you return home from school and why?

11. How would your life be if you lived in a jungle?

12. If your parents allow you to stay awake all night, how would you spend your time?

13. If you had to dress up like a famous person for one day at school, who would you choose to be and why?

14. What came first – the chicken or the egg?

15. If you discovered a new color, what would you name it?

16. How will your life change if your parents get you a pet?

17. If you were to lose one of your senses, which one are you willing to give up?

18. Which three emotions do you experience the most?

19. Can there be life on other planets?

20. Is there anything that bothers you and how can you try to fix it?

Critical thinking questions for middle schoolers

1. If you were to invent one thing, what would it be and why?

2. If you were lost, how would you find your way back home?

3. If you must describe yourself in five words, which ones would they be?

4. Is there a family tradition you enjoy the most? Which one is it and why do you love it?

5. How is lying bad for you?

6. Why do adults not follow the rules they make for their kids?

7. What is one thing about the school you would never want to change?

8. How would life on Earth change if there were no days and only nights?

9. What do you want to be in the future?

10. What do you prefer and why – going outdoors or staying indoors?

11. Why and how can we protect our environment?

12. Can you estimate how many mobile phones there are in the world?

13. Why is it important to learn more than one language?

14. If you were stranded on an island, what would you do to survive?

15. Should animals be left alone in the jungle or should they be kept in zoos?

16. If you had to donate your pocket money, where would you donate it and why?

17. What things are hard for kids but easy for grown-ups?

18. How would you change a story’s ending?

19. How can you avoid a particular problem?

20. Is this sentence an opinion or is it a fact?

Critical thinking questions for high schoolers

1. How will you help a blind person with directions?

2. Is there a career option you would never choose and why?

3. Which traits make you unique in the class?

4. If you get a chance to go back in time, what is the one thing you would change and why?

5. What can high schoolers do to improve themselves?

6. As a teenager, what do you find the most challenging?

7. What could we do to prevent this from happening again?

8. When did you no longer consider yourself a child?

9. If you get a chance to go on an international vacation, where would you go and why?

10. How can your generation contribute to making this world a better place to live in?

11. What was your biggest achievement in the past month?

12. When do you call a day ‘perfect’?

13. If there was a pizza-eating contest, how many slices would you be able to eat?

14. What are the pros and cons of children having their own phones?

15. Which issue is more important to address – Climate Change or Poverty and Hunger?

16. What global changes do you wish to see 30 years from now?

17. What would you do if you won a cash prize of one million dollars?

18. If there’s a medical emergency, how would you help?

19. Is too much money a good or a bad thing?

20. Should public schools have uniforms for students?

Few more questions to encourage critical thinking

1. If you were on the opposite side, how would your perspective be different?

2. How can you find a solution to this problem?

3. Is there a way to prevent this issue from occurring in the future?

4. How can you explain this with an example?

5. Can we arrive at a solution using a different route?

6. How can you find out if something is true?

7. What life lesson can you derive from this situation? 

8. How can you apply the lessons you learned by reading a book in your real life?

9. Why do you think this is important? 

10. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

11. How can society benefit from ——?

12. How can we improve this?

13. Will this cause a problem?

14. What else can be done to make it better?

15. What assumptions are you making while dealing with this problem?

16. Which approach is better?

17. What are your views – agree or disagree?

18. How does journaling help?

19. Is it relevant to what we are talking about?

20. How could this negatively impact us?

In conclusion

People have different critical thinking abilities and those who excel at this skill are highly regarded in the workplace too! To help our children stay in tune with the rapidly changing world, we can ask them to answer the above questions so they get into the habit of analyzing things critically before arriving at conclusions. 

Just take out five minutes a day to discuss any matter and blend these questions into your discussion. It can be done in the classroom, at the dining table, or whenever you get a chance to sneak in a bit of learning and stimulate critical thinking in children.

Priyanka Sonkushre

I am Priyanka Sonkushre, a writer and blogger. I am the person behind “One Loving Mama,” a mom blog. Equipped with a Bachelor’s degree along with an MBA, my healthcare background helps me deeply understand learning difficulties. I know how challenging it can be for parents to find the right resources to help their children excel in life. So, here I am to blend my healthcare expertise with my parenting experience to create valuable and helpful resources for parents and teachers supporting children with learning differences. If you wish, you can follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.

onelovingmama.com

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Critical thinking is the process of examining the available data, facts, evidence, observations, and argument to reach a conclusion. It is the capacity to evaluate information while being aware of different preconceptions. While it is a crucial concept, it needs to be developed in individuals. Critical thinking improves thought quality, which is an added advantage for students, teachers, and adults.

Individuals can find multiple ways to develop the skill. One good way is to engage oneself in significant books about critical thinking. Books are equipped with real-world applications, practical practices, and mindful language leading to an experiential learning process. Books also offer an engaging time with sorted texts and visually appealing graphics. Books on critical thinking help individuals boost their skills and also learn relevant strategies to build the habit of thinking critically.

Important books on improving critical thinking

Books are a helpful way to understand the process of critical thinking. Books not only offer a good shelf value but have higher recall value every time a reader reads them again. This becomes relevant as readers are more likely to remember and apply concepts that help strengthen critical thinking skills.

1. The Power of Critical Thinking: Effective Reasoning about Ordinary and Extraordinary Claims

Critical thinking is a powerful tool for improving logic and reasoning. The book is written by Lewis Vaughn to specifically offer tools to apply critical thinking. It includes the main characteristics and essentials of critical thinking helping students as well as adults in developing their reasoning and argumentative skills. 

The book is filled with scientific reasoning and evidence that also helps individuals understand different obstacles to critical thinking. With the usage of fresh examples, the language is simple for students, youngsters, and adults. The comprehensive content allows readers to instantly connect with ideas. Individuals can spot a plethora of real-world applications where critical thinking plays an important role. 

People from any domain can understand the aspect of human reasoning, creativity, and fun information to boost their critical thinking skills. Interestingly, this book has various self-assessment quizzes along with exercises to help individuals understand the methods and ways to develop critical thinking. 

2. Wait, What?: And Life’s Other Essential Questions

The above-mentioned book is a helpful contribution by James E. Ryan for students as well as adults. The book specifically signifies the importance of making a mark in the world out there. Individuals are more likely to engage in real-life examples and anecdotes that relate to life. 

This book exactly has a similar collection of the author’s life stories, experiences, and how critical thinking helped him pave the way to success. The author has focused on the importance of asking good questions to enable critical thinking. Moreover, the book is filled with stories from different areas of life including politics and pop culture. 

As the name suggests, the book essentially throws light on how individuals should look at life with different questions. The 5 questions of life help readers build healthy relationships, understand people, and figure out what truly matters to them. With comprehensive content and practical learning, the book is one of the good ways to develop critical thinking skills.

3. Critical Thinking In A Nutshell

As the name suggests, the book – Critical thinking in a nutshell provides concise information on the subject matter. Critical thinking is often disturbed by irrational decision-making involving emotions. The book throws light on taking critical decisions by studying data and applying logical reasoning instead of emotions. 

Readers get a good opportunity to learn about precise methods and ways to apply critical thinking in everyday life. The book also offers interesting exercises to constantly brush up on the skill. Additionally, it is an actionable book that helps individuals use the methodologies to activate critical thinking processes. It briefly explains the meaning and application of critical thinking in today’s world. 

With real industry-related examples, the book displays the importance of critical thinking in business models, value systems, and entrepreneurship. The tone is conversational with well-explained methods. Individuals get an opportunity to learn about the critical thinking framework, the qualities of a critical thinker, filtering information, and how to become an expert at it. 

4. Critical Thinking Skills For Dummies

The book is written by Martin Cohen that highlights the importance of critical thinking through mastering logical and argumentative skills. Individuals get a fresh perspective for learning different features of good critical thinkers. The book specifically highlights the significance of tolerance, confidence, curiosity, analytical skills, and truth-seeking to develop critical thinking skills.

The book is filled with practical examples and methodologies that help individuals sharpen their skills in everyday life. Along with comprehensive information, the book offers crucial methods for critical thinkers. It also promises relevant exercises to help improvise arguments by noting points and analyzing them. 

Readers get a bundle of information from experts along with sound reasoning. Students as well as adults can learn more about strategies and tools to apply critical thinking in all areas of life. Moreover, one can effectively learn tactics to understand unsound arguments, thinking habits, and being a rational decision-maker.

5. The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools

Based on the ground-breaking work of Richard Paul and Linda Elder, this book is a pocket-sized resource that equips readers with critical thinking skills. As the name suggests, the book offers concise information about the tools and concepts of critical thinking in a straightforward manner. The book offers fundamental critical thinking ideas and practices as a motivating foundation for solving problems.

Interestingly, this is helpful to students, teachers, and adults to understand the core concepts of critical thinking. The book also offers a comprehensive learning experience with detailed explanations and techniques. Additionally, it reveals how individuals can learn to identify and avoid egocentric and socio-centric thoughts. 

The book also helps readers to understand the aspects that lead to narrow-mindedness, self-deception, arrogance, herd mentality, and prejudice. Individuals get a brief idea about the foundations of critical thinking and how they can be applied. It helps improve teaching and learning at all levels for readers. 

6. Elements of Critical Thinking: A Fundamental Guide to Effective Decision Making, Deep Analysis, Intelligent Reasoning, and Independent Thinking

Presenting a significant book on critical thinking that deepens understanding about various elements of thinking and decision making. The book explains how information plays a crucial role in the critical thinking process. With creative and comprehensive explanations, the book offers valuable insights into thinking and reasoning. 

It has a set of different questions that trigger the reader to understand the complete pattern of any situation. The book helps individuals understand the function, obstacles, and advantages of critical thinking. It also helps one understand the core elements and characteristics of critical thinkers. Solid examples make it an interesting read!

Additionally, readers are given information about various strategies leading to the right decision-making. It also focuses on the application of this skill while reading, learning, or writing. With a combination of knowledge on analytical and reflective thinking, the book offers practical knowledge about the application of the skill during shopping, learning, communicating, or putting forward an argument.

7. Critical Thinkers: Methods for Clear Thinking and Analysis in Everyday Situations from the Greatest Thinkers in History

As the name suggests, the book is a combination of lessons from classic critical thinkers. Readers receive a good opportunity to learn directly from the experiences of renowned personalities. Written by Albert Rutherford, the book primarily focuses on the application of critical thinking in everyday life. It enables the reader to question different opinions, facts, and instances to develop the habit of thinking critically.

Moreover, the book helps enhance intelligence by motivating readers to participate in arguments and debates. Readers learn how to process thoughts and make wise decisions through critical thinking. Individuals are exposed to different methods that govern the successful application of the skill. It familiarizes readers with practical situations and helps them tackle problems with reasoning skills. 

The book offers a 360-degree approach to developing the skill. It allows readers to explore the concept from perspectives of philosophy, sociology, and cognitive biases. The language is simple and can be applied to most phases of everyday life. Students, adults, and teachers benefit from the book by using methods to enhance communication, logic, and reasoning capabilities.

8. Critical Thinking: Your Guide to Effective Argument, Successful Analysis, and Independent Study

The book written by Tom Chatfield is a classic contribution to the field of critical thinking. It enables the human mind to spot arguments and effectively handle them. With comprehensive explanations, the writer elaborates on the importance of discovering errors, understanding bias, and being tech-savvy for thinking critically. 

The book is more like a guided toolkit that offers readers significant information about the 10 commandments for critical thinking. The book also has improved tips and tricks that work well for students as well as adults. Interestingly, the book also has quizzes to empower readers with the right questions thereby putting the mind into a critical thinking process. 

The book is divided into two parts where the first part highlights reasoning, arguments, and key explanations. The second part focuses on faulty reasoning and also has suggestions for maintaining a work-life balance. The book is more helpful for college students as it allows readers to completely understand the subject from its core.

Can books help with better critical thinking skills? What does research point to?

Critical thinking can be developed in various ways including brainstorming, creative thinking, and through reading. However, books play an important role in imparting knowledge. As books are embedded with realistic situations and examples, it gives a practical overview of concepts to the readers.

According to research^[1], it is found that digital books are crucial for making students competent. Graduates are now required to develop critical thinking which can be conveniently done via books. After the inclusion of digital books on critical thinking, the data showed improvement in students’ performance. 

Another important research^[2] suggests the usage of children’s books to promote critical thinking in them. The study was conducted to understand the impact of books on the thinking capacity of students. As per the research, students spent time analyzing the questions and answers from the book. It also resulted in an improvement in attitude toward school. Hence, it can be stated that the usage of various books helps in developing critical thinking. 

Conclusion

Knowledge and personal development are fundamentally impacted by books because they open up a world of imagination. With the list of the above-mentioned critical thinking books, individuals get to develop confidence in their ability to interpret problems and find feasible solutions. 

Apart from books, individuals can also look for different critical thinking apps and real-life examples to strengthen understanding. With critical thinking, individuals become proactive at understanding the essence of the situation and they also learn to analyze it with the right facts and figures.

References

1. Ridho, S., Wardani, S., & Saptono, S. (2021). Development of Local Wisdom Digital Books to Improve Critical Thinking Skills through Problem Based Learning. Journal of Innovative Science Education, 10(1), 1 – 7. https://doi.org/10.15294/jise.v9i1.37041
2. A, P., & R., S. (n.d.). Promoting Critical Thinking Skills for Fourth Grade Students through the Use of Children’s Books. [Dissertations/Theses – Practicum Papers]. Nova University.

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post 8 Best-selling Critical Thinking Books To Read In 2024 appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

Conventional learning methods mainly demand a longer attention span which is at times difficult for young individuals. In such cases, using online games to ace the skill can be a wise choice. This post includes a list of ten online critical thinking games to develop critical thinking skills while keeping you focused and occupied in learning new things.  

Online games to improve your critical thinking ability

Various game developers have launched games that require the player to use their deep critical thinking skills in order to play and win. From matching numbers to presenting the player with real-life situations, these online critical thinking games come in myriad forms. 

1. Spent 

The first game on the list is Spent, based on the concept of budgeting and the various challenges one has to face in day-to-day life. While playing the game, the player will face multiple difficult scenarios and has to make crucial decisions that will directly impact their income (in the game). The kind of problems and challenges that you will face while playing the game include:

• Issues related to your health concern
• Getting correctly educated
• Trying your best to provide the basic amenities for the members of your family

This game will get one’s mind racing as it requires making quick and critical decisions that will have an impact on the growth of the decision-making process. This game plays with planning, summarizing, decision-making, and information-synthesizing skills. In addition, they get to learn about poverty, unemployment, the Affordable Care Act, etc.  

2. Air Traffic Controller Game 

As the name might suggest, the air traffic controller is an online simulation game that lets a player direct and guide various aircraft on the ground, on runways, and via the medium of controlled airspace. The main purposes of the game are to manage a popular airport, ensure there are no delays in the landing or the take-off process, and see to it that there are no collisions. 

In short, the player is responsible for maintaining the air traffic of that particular airport. In addition, the game also offers three levels of difficulty. At level one or Gate 1, the player needs to manage one airstrip where the difficulty level is very low. Once they are comfortable with the first one, they can move on to the second and third levels to stimulate their critical thinking skills. 

3. Sudoku 

Sudoku is a familiar and common game. The game is based on the concepts of basic logical thinking and a combinational number placement puzzle where a player needs to fill a 9×9 grid with digits ranging from 1 to 9. But the catch is that they need to fill in the blanks so that all of the columns, rows, and nine 3×3 subblocks present within the 9×9 grid contain all the digits, as mentioned earlier. 

For example, if a player places ‘1’ in the first block of the first row, they cannot put it anywhere in that row and column again. They must use numbers 2-9 to complete that specific row and column. The game (or puzzle) requires one to stimulate their brain in a manner that involves their critical thinking skills and enables them to think logically while taking aid from numerical skills. 

4. Good Game Empire

Similar to various other RPG and strategy games you will find online, Good Game Empire is based on an MMO strategy style, and the setting of the game is in Medieval times. The central theme of this game is that you need to build a thriving empire worldwide.

But, you will start the game with only a castle to your name, and you have to develop and make your empire strategically and fight opposing nations. This game pushes you to think critically and expand your strategic ideals to the best extent to make your empire spread throughout the world. The game will also offer you various choices from which you would need to select the option that works the best for you. 

5. Chess 

Chess is one of the board games played across the globe that requires analytical skills. There are always two players in this game, and the primary objective of the game is to capture the opponent’s king. However, it is not as simple as it sounds. White and black checkered board (64 squares) with different pieces (each piece symbolizes different positions like King, Rook, Bishop, Queen, Pawn, and Knight) arranged on it in specific positions- this is what a player gets on the screen while they choose to play chess. They can move one piece at a time, and each piece has a set pattern of movements that they must follow. 

The same applies to the opponent too. Using specially designed and designated moves, the players are supposed to check their opponents (also known as Checkmate) and capture their king to win the game. It needs the players to practice critical thinking, for one cannot randomly move pieces and win the game. Well-calculated moves and timely yet quick decisions are what they need. Thus, chess highly stimulates the players’ brains, allowing them to think critically.  

6. Minecraft 

The objective of the game is to freely explore the Minecraft world, explore infinite possibilities, and create new setups. Starting from building a block to making an entire city as they see fit, one can do it all in this game. This game allows you to freely exercise your imaginative and creative side of the brain. 

The game is an ideal option for students to practice math concepts and give them the experience of how those concepts are used in our day-to-day lives. Players critically analyze situations and draw conclusions all the while building and planning the entire city. The game not only offers the experience of endless fun but also helps individuals to use and practice their critical thinking abilities.

7. Brainstorm 

Critical thinking is all about making decisions based on analytical observation and this game allows individuals to brainstorm and find answers to challenging questions. In this game, the players need to answer questions that come on the screen by choosing the correct answer from the given options. The game starts from a basic level named “Newborn.” Answering all questions enables the player to move to the next level. For example, this Newborn level has 18 questions. 

A maximum of four players can join and compete with each other to complete small tasks and objectives ahead of every other player. The players would need to push their brains to their limits which means that this game will stimulate their brains and let them exercise critical thinking skills. In addition, this will allow them to improve their decision-making process. 

8. 2048 game

2048 is a sliding puzzle video game where the primary objective is to slide the numbered tiles within the puzzle setting until the players have combined them to form a tile with the number 2048.  Even though it sounds easy, the game requires one to think before moving a single tile as it could determine the outcome. One needs to actively think of the moves ahead of making to ensure a proper flow of movements. This game is ideal for stimulating one’s brain and keeping it on its toes. 

9. Unolingo 

Unolingo is an online crossword puzzle game where you need to fill in a 10×10 puzzle box. The player needs to fill the boxes by placing the words and letters precisely and completing the puzzle. Unlike a regular crossword puzzle, there are no clues as to which letter the player should put in to make a complete word. 

They can ask for a hint but that will add 30 seconds to the elapsed time. Clicking on the “Solve” tab will show the solved puzzle. This game requires the players to think more critically and stimulate their brains further. It is a fun alternative to regular crossword puzzles and will keep a player occupied for longer as they have to think more critically as to what letter to put and what word to make. 

10. Tangram puzzle 

The Tangram puzzle is a fun game that helps one to exercise their brain. There are seven geometrical shapes in the game. Each level comes with a diagram where the players need to position the shapes such that it matches the diagram. There is a provision to rotate the shapes and place them wherever the player sees fit. 

There will be 25 puzzles to solve with these seven shapes.  The faster the player solves the puzzle, the faster they get access to the next puzzle. It requires creative and critical thinking for they have to recognize which shape will fit which part of the puzzle. Also, how to rotate it to match the puzzle needs deep thinking. It pushes the player to think creatively and use their critical thinking skills.

Conclusion

Critical thinking refers to understanding a piece of information, analyzing it, applying it to practical application, combining the information with other prior knowledge to draw conclusions, etc. Critical thinking is essential in all aspects of life, personal or professional.

These online games can help an individual use them in practical scenarios and draw effective conclusions. The games mentioned above help one to think critically and also to keep their brain active by stimulating it to its limit. These enjoyable games will keep a player occupied for longer, allowing them to explore and learn new things freely.

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post 10 Engaging Online Games To Test Your Critical Thinking Skills appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

We can learn from the age-old knowledge and the contemporary sages to improve our thinking abilities. And one of the finest ways to achieve that is using “quotes”. There are a lot of wise words and proverbs that get us thinking, whether they be positive thinking quotes or critical thinking quotes.

Perhaps one of the most powerful thoughts on thinking is this… “Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become who you are.”

Critical thinking for students – Who’s job is it?

Research reveals several essential findings. Despite widespread agreement that critical thinking is important, most individuals feel that schools do not do enough to help students develop their critical thinking skills.

Nearly 95% of people agree that critical thinking abilities are vital in today’s world, and favor more critical thinking across nearly every demographic characteristic. Nevertheless, many individuals are concerned that our schools do not teach sophisticated ways of thinking, and nearly 80% of respondents believe that young people lack the capacity for critical thought. Only 29% of respondents claim to have categorically studied critical thinking at school.

It’s unclear when, when, and even how critical thinking instruction should take place. A little over half of the parents surveyed believe that it is their responsibility to instill critical thinking in their children. Another 41% think that educators should be in charge of imparting critical thinking skills to young people. Another 22% think that kids should be in charge of their own behavior.

Critical thinking at school

A teacher’s influence on a student extends beyond just imparting a top-notch education.

You serve as a leader, mentor, coach, advisor, and promoter of growth. Since students spend so much time in your classroom, it is up to you and your co-workers in education to create an environment where students can be themselves and accomplish their best work.

Posters with inspirational quotes are a great approach to make your classroom immediately seem more upbeat. Famous writers, innovators, and other personalities have left us with a wealth of inspiring quotations on learning and achievement. After choosing your favorite motivational sayings, you can utilize them to make your own low-cost classroom posters.

What words weigh

The proverb “actions speak louder than words” is certainly familiar to you, but it’s not always the case. Each of us has the ability to sway someone with our words.

Numerous research has revealed the advantages and disadvantages associated with particular terms. Dr. Susan Smalley, a professor of psychiatry and biobehavioural sciences at UCLA, stated that “individuals [who] read words of ‘loving kindness’ showed an increase in self-compassion, improved mood, and reduced anxiety.”

If we think back to times we’ve heard inspirational words, we remember how good and motivated we felt after. To get in the habit of choosing our words wisely and with positive intent, we can put reminders around us.

Below is a rundown of some thought-provoking critical thinking quotes that are fit and fun to read for students and mentors alike:

Critical thinking quotes for students

1. “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.”—Albert Einstein

Few men in history have had the critical thinking skills of Albert Einstein. One of the characteristics of extremely competent critical thinkers is their inherent curiosity. With that curiosity comes the practice of questioning to explore, discover, and reveal. This is why through using essential and herding questions in our teaching, we drive learners’ curiosity by engaging them in exploring a topic through questions that begin big and get increasingly specific as more discoveries are made. This piece of wisdom is a pearl for dyslexic and non-dyslexic students alike.

2. “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.”– Oscar Wilde

No, narcissism doesn’t say that. According to the saying, you must reawaken your love for yourself so that it last forever. To teach students anything, it is essential you teach them to love themselves first. Once you can do that, no one will be able to undermine your confidence and knock you down. Your own best critic would be you. The days of seeking emotional support from others and relying on them to maintain one’s mental health would be gone.

3. “You have a brain and mind of your own. Use it, and reach your own decisions.”—Napoleon Hill

The ability to think independently is one of the critical thinking’s most important characteristics. Without giving anything much thought, believing or agreeing is simple. However, when we make the decision to think for ourselves, we exercise a human right and a duty we have as citizens of the world. Independent thought is labor-intensive, but the benefits are incalculable. One benefit is that it provides various viewpoints and perspectives, which can be instructive. Another benefit of independent thought is that it inspires us to stand up for what we believe in and have confidence in our capacity to make the best decisions for ourselves.

4. “If you are going through hell, keep going.”— Sir Winston Churchill

This pearl of knowledge has lasting ramifications for the lives of all learners, young and old, within and outside of the classroom. Nothing can be endured indefinitely. Everything changes at some point in time. Life is a roller coaster ride that goes through ups and downs in cycles. When difficult times hit you, as a young student, it’s normal to feel discouraged, but you need to realize that they won’t last forever and that you need to keep at it until you’re there.

Hold hands, unite, and proceed through it. And you are never alone in the larger scheme of things.

5. “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”—Aristotle

According to cognition scientists, the average person has between 60,000 and 80,000 ideas per day, or a few thousand thoughts every hour. Thus, thinking critically entails evaluating ideas that have significance and tossing out or dismissing ideas that don’t. Let’s say that when you leave the house, you leave the iron on. You recall that you left it on as you’re driving out the driveway, so you go back inside to turn it off. Or does your day proceed as usual? Here is what might follow:

“That was so foolish, I could have set the house on fire.”

“What if, after preparing breakfast, I forget to turn the burner off? Children will burn their hands off!

“When my spouse or wife learns about it, what will they think?”

“Am I aging faster?”

We refer to this as “sharing our tale.” The stories we tell ourselves, however, are not the facts. The fact is you left the iron on, remembered because you’re smart, turned it off, and diverted a disaster. Additionally, now that you’ve learned from this experience, you’ll be more conscientious next time, and your family may also pick up on your good habits. That’s the path of the critical thinker.

6. “Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.”— Charles Bukowski

Life is designed to be an experimentation ground. To think critically, you must first understand that one cannot think with boundaries around them. Consider also that curiosity is like exercise for the brain, combatting boredom and stagnation by making the brain more active and energized. The student cannot and should not think amid their safe, familiar bubbles and be pushed to explore. It is only in that experimentation you realize what you are worthy of. One would then become ecstatic, ecstatic by coming to a step closer to the meaning of life. It is that ecstasy that would madden you, help you grow and it will be totally worth it.

7. “Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider.”—Francis Bacon

One must be genuinely able to read anything without immediately taking it to heart because there are so many opinions and points of view in the world that are freely communicated through both online and offline means. Thus, developing analytical reading skills in our students is important. Encouraging children to think critically while they read is one thing we can do for them in this vein. The purpose for this is simple; not only does it cultivate independent critical thinking skills, but it helps students enjoy reading more. Rather than passively consuming the words they read, they are questioning and observing, looking for hidden meanings, recognizing patterns and relations to experiences they’ve had, and more.

8. “My father used to say ‘Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.”—Desmond Tutu

This can occur when a person who wasn’t nearly as informed as they thought is suddenly confronted with evidence that contradicts their strongly held beliefs. This may be concerning because our opinions are significant to us and help to define who we are. As a result, this person may respond hastily and out of fear; their natural tendency is to shout louder to drown out the offensive opponent. That is not how critical thinkers operate. Instead, they come prepared to open discussions with a solid bedrock of knowledge and experience to rest on about the discussion topic. They’ll listen openly to the views of others and consider anything that another’s perspective may have to teach them, and share in any and all discussions as constructively as possible.

9. “Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it.”—Augustine of Hippe

In the past, or in the future, righteousness has never depended on its adherents.
Even if just a small portion of a population supports it, what is right must remain right. Not everyone has the strength to follow the correct route since it is less appealing than the other one. And more people will always be drawn to what is attractive and simple. For students and for them to adhere to critical thinking, it is essential they first abide by and think about what’s right.

10. “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”— Albert Einstein

It is an unavoidable fact that not everyone has potential that is similar to another person. A student’s ability is facilitated by their environment, society, and upbringing, which helps them see their value. Every student is capable of thinking, but also has his own special abilities that must be nourished, nurtured, and garnered.

11.“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.”— Jimmy Johnson

Students rather are distinguished from the commonplace and be viewed as extraordinary. They must therefore ask themselves, “Have we really made that extra effort that would make us the latter?” today. When someone gives up the impulse to always take the easy route and instead makes the necessary extra effort, they become special.

12. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost

There is no way to succeed in life and climb above the rat race by adhering to it. You must possess the courage to travel the less traveled route. It is important to inculcate in the students that someday, they could be a pioneer in a field that they wouldn’t become aware of until years later. Fear keeps you from stepping into an unfamiliar environment. Once you let go of it there would be nothing holding you back.

Final word

Both you and your students deserve to hear all the uplifting and motivating things that are said.

With a bouquet of flowers, make sure to send these thoughtful quotes to a friend or family member who might or might not be a student as a way to express care and the importance of critical thinking.

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post 12 Inspiring Critical Thinking Quotes For Students appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

Critical thinking is one trait that is used in many areas of life. From observing, and forming judgment to decision making, enhancing critical thinking skills has become imperative for adults. Apps can be an effective option to get started with this journey of developing such crucial life skills.

Hence, in this post, you will find the various apps that can help adults build and enhance their critical thinking skills. 

The concept of critical thinking 

Critical thinking is known as the process of actively and successfully conceiving, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating knowledge as a basis for belief and action. It requires intellectual discipline.

A Critical thinker with practice:

• raises important issues and articulate them simply and clearly
• collects and evaluates pertinent information, effectively interpreting it using abstract concepts.
• reaches well-thought-out findings and solutions, evaluating them in light of pertinent criteria and standards
• successfully collaborates with others to find solutions to challenging situations
• thinks critically about other schools of thought like recognizing and evaluating. Their underlying presuppositions, implications, and application of thoughts into actions also fall under the concept of thinking into practice.

Applications useful for critical thinking amongst adults

1. Lumosity 

It is a popular brain training app developed by neuroscientists. Its purpose is to boost memory and attention span while encouraging problem-solving behavior and divergent thinking to think of flexible solutions. 

The cognitive training program on Lumosity is a fun, engaging method to exercise your brain and learn more about how the mind functions. The Lumosity application, which is used by more than 100 million people worldwide, consists of games that challenge players’ memory, speed, flexibility, and problem-solving skills.

This app helps train adults into a more critical state by taking their time and utilizing it into solving puzzles through this app, the critical thinking quality will flourish among them.

App link : Play store | App store |Web app

2. Elevate

It is a personalized app to train the brain and consists of daily game workouts. It provides a calendar that is easy to access and allows you to log your workout conveniently to track your performance and progress. 

The app consists of 30 cognitive and concentration games relevant enough to help progress critical thinking and provides adaptive difficulty progression.

A very important aspect that this app provides is what medical professionals have been telling us since the inception of time, exercise. Be it physical or mental, this app helps in scheduling exercises well in advance for a busy adult.

App Link: Play store | App store | Web app

3. Brain it on

It is a physics-based puzzle game that offers different types of brain stimulation through challenges and puzzles. It asks the user to solve different puzzles by drawing on the screen, and the purpose is to encourage divergent thinking and problem-solving.

It is a highly rated app under the recommendation for mental skills.

“Brain it On!” features an arcade-style appearance and launches the main game as soon as the app is opened. The game will begin with simple challenges like drawing a straight line, tilting a form in a certain way, etc., similar to other casual puzzle games. Making the most of the early levels is crucial because as the game progresses, the riddles will become increasingly challenging.

App link: Play store | App store | Web App

4. Peak

This app is available on both Google Play and iOS App Store. It provides more than 45 brain training games that combine technology and neuroscience and aims to improve memory, attention, problem-solving, and mental agility through fun.

In addition, the app improves users’ performance by providing feedback after each game and provides insights and statistics based on the user’s age and profession.

Three times a week of practice is advised by the developers. Each exercise adapts to the user’s proficiency level and concludes with feedback. The basic premium edition of Peak Pro gives unlimited access to all 40+ exercises, along with individualized training sessions and comprehensive feedback (mainly percentage and graphs on progress), whereas the basic free version only permits a small selection of randomly chosen daily activities.

App Link: Play store | App store | Web app

5. Brainwell

This rather cool app provides over 50 games to stimulate different parts of your brain. It includes journals like puzzles, teasers, mind tests, and more. It functions to improve memory, attention span, focus, and IQ. 

With over 1 million downloads, it promises to help with problem-solving, attention, visual skills, and language. Designed with neuroscience knowledge, it challenges the users and helps sharpen one’s mind.

App Link: Play store | App store

6. Chess

This game app has been a favorite for adults for a long time. The online version of chess, similar to the offline game, helps an individual develop foresight and perseverance. It tests an individual’s sportsmanship and helps sharpen thinking and decision-making skills.

Chess is bound to improve an individual’s cognitive skills, attention span, and memory along with logical thinking and comes with many more benefits. 

This app and its cognitive enhancing power are known to the entire world, probably the most adult-friendly among the lot, this app is an amazing productive time-pass for busy professionals out there.

App link : Play store | Web app

7. Brainturk

The printer is a mobile and computer-based app that provides over 40 games and meditation techniques based on neuroplasticity principles. These games help improve attention span, language skills, focus, short and long-term cognitive memory, and tools to address psychological barriers.

Neuropsychological researchers have used these games as they were shown to increase the strength of brain muscles and memory speed and provide complex stimulation to an individual’s brain. Some of the games include the flanker task, Stroop task, picture back, tracking objects, revised space fortress, and math games.

App link: Play store | App store | Web app

8. Geist 

Geist is another brain training app designed to keep the brain functioning actively. It is based on neuroplasticity and developed by experts and has also been used in the research community. 

It provides 24 games with more than 720 levels that help in improving brain connectivity, memory, logic concentration, reaction, and mathematical skills. It also provides workouts that a personalized win individual, cater to their curated goals, and allows tracking of the progress based on scientific testing. 

It also provides a series of meditation that helps in brain training. Geist provides a study of your performance following a brain training session. It compares you to other Geist users and identifies some of your cognitive strong points. You can unlock new tests by using the Geist points you earn by doing well on these exercises. This is a wonderful addition because it makes sure users are proficient before moving on.

App link: App store

Conclusion 

It is important that we view the world from a subjective point of view; for that, we require information and the ability to identify assumptions and arguments from hardcore facts and truth. Critical thinking aims to reason and inquire about creating and updating one’s opinions based on solid arguments. Being able to think critically is practical for us as individuals since it is important in a world that prioritizes the ability to manage information.

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post 8 Awesome Critical Thinking Apps For Adults appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

While it can be a skill that is easy to acquire, most of us gain the skill unconsciously or without reflection. However, various examples in our day-to-day life can prove how we use critical thinking in our usual routines.

In this post, we will talk about the various instances where an individual uses critical thinking, and also share a handful of strategies that can help people upskill.

Critical Thinking Examples 

Though the words “Critical Thinking” might sound overwhelming, the truth is that all of us humans use our critical thinking skills during the course of the day in some way or the other. The idea behind developing such skills is to make decision-making easier. Some of the examples that can make an individual think critically are:

1. Problem Solving

Problem-solving is the main ingredient of logical and analytical thinking that fruits critical thinking. When faced with a problem, the approach to problem-solving is the immediate sensory action that our brain takes to get out of a situation or potentially try to find a solution for it to meet the ends. This is the reason why critical thinking is crucial for individuals, especially for those who are at incharge positions at work. For example- A crucial order was to dispatch in the morning, but a technical fault arose at night, the steps the manager would take now to mend the situation display their critical thinking skills. From picking a party theme to deciding on suitable tiles for a kitchen, all the aforementioned situations speak of the problem-solving abilities on a larger spectrum.

2. Career

The decisions you make while picking a particular stream to pursue a career in that domain are crucial to critical thinking. For instance, when a person wants to be a doctor, they need to decide which area of specialization to go for. Critically evaluating the factors involves aspects of critical thinking. Therefore, choosing a career starts with critical analysis and effective decision-making.

One may potentially start by weighing the positives and the negatives of an industry with possible career outcomes. This part of decision-making gets followed by judgments to be made in order to pursue excellence at work and likewise. Such matters show how long an individual may last in a company, a sector, or a job as per their critical thinking abilities. 

3. Health

They say, ‘Health is Wealth,’ and a lot of health decisions might involve a person’s ability to think critically. Choosing junk over healthy meals, and skipping meals over timely feeds, is also a part of critical thinking. As added above, the idea of making a (right) decision at a particular (right) time is again a part of this wholesome process.

However, in order to treat our body as a temple, we must get our acts together and follow a good diet and an exercise regime. This decision takes a lot of critical thinking about which diet to follow, keto or paleo. Likewise, the choice of exercise between cardio or strength-building is contemplated critically.

4. Education

Education requires critical thinking in the learning process, but choosing subjects and picking the right institution(s) per your need also requires critical thinking. A lot of time, effort, and money is put into education, the choice of which involves the skill of critical thinking. The location, duration, cost, and return on investment through the degree/course and placement aspects need to be critically thought off and planned according to the requirements and aspirations of a student. 

5. Professional Integrity

Professional integrity, in some cases, has been found to be an inherent quality in career and life. Still, it needs adept training to teach it in daily life. People and situations around us cater to such natural pieces of training every day. All we need to do is absorb the good and the right, use our motor senses well, and hold onto it regardless.

One’s ability to think critically is related proportionately to how effective professional integrity one has. If the person does not critically evaluate his or her situation and responsibility, it would be easy for them to be compromised when it comes to becoming an integral part of an organization.

6. Finances

Critical thinking regarding finances is an extremely important and perhaps the most advised thing on this list. Making these decisions involve considering more than one factor, which needs the ability to think critically. Which real estate to invest in, which stocks to buy, which bank gives out the most interest against their money, all these decisions need critical thinking, and people tend to lose out on money with today’s financial systems if important decisions turn out to be against their favor.

7. Quality of Life

The decisions we make regarding our life and how to live them also need critical thoughts to garner. To explain with an example, one needs to think critically about what appliances one needs to buy as per their need, budget, wants, and situation. The correct permutation, combination, and some sacrifice usually lead to an almost perfect life.

However, it is essential to know that the definition of a perfect life for everyone is different. Surround your life with what makes you happy, content, and least vexed about matters; that every part of living becomes the qualitative measure of your life.

8. Time Management

Critically thinking about managing your time and workload is a secret sauce of success. Time is limited and fixed for everyone, so how come some seem to use it much better than others? The secret is critically thinking, analyzing, and managing time efficiently. These skills are a must incur so that time works for you and not the other way around. Prioritizing which works to do when and for how long- helps people become their best version.

9. Delegation

Micromanaging is known to be the enemy of productivity. But why? Because it is almost impossible to micromanage and get other things done when your head’s already occupied with the prior. Delegating your workload helps in achieving more quality in less time. But the process should be thought of critically, and the team should be chosen carefully.

10. Business

The world’s economy is based on businesses and industries. To make a business boom, one needs the critical thinking skills of a number of people. Hiring the right talent for the right job and investing in the right sector at the right time is a part of critical and analytical thinking. This is how they manage to transcend the norms and be outstanding at their jobs.

Strategies for Critical Thinking

While critical thinking can be natural for a few individuals, it might be a skill that needs to be developed slowly yet steadily. A few strategies can help an individual inculcate these practices in their daily life. Some of these are:

1. Questioning

Asking meaningful and necessary questions is an art in itself. This quality helps train the mind into an intelligent thought-making organ that can make critical decisiveness easy.

2. Discussions

Discussions enhance our knowledge and add to our primary intelligence and enrich our critical thinking abilities. One-on-one or group discussions, both can help immensely in the process of personality building.

3. Active Learning

Active learning is the method where learning with the help of real-life examples, experiments, and case studies proves much more practical and effective than theoretical reading.

4. Collaboration

Collaborating with talented and experienced people can enrich our quality of life at home and work. It betters our thinking abilities and gives us a new and healthier perspective on matters.

Conclusion

These are some real-life examples where critical thinking plays a huge part; though critical thinking seems like an inherent component of human existence, we do it unknowingly all the time. The critical thinking process in our day-to-day lives sets the course of our daily activities. By following the strategies and implementing the example, one can get help leading a critically thought-out and sought-after life.

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post 10 Real Life Examples Of Critical Thinking appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

Critical thinking can be boosted at any age. However, being a part of overall development in students, schooling systems today are paying auxiliary attention to it. But, how do you inculcate critical thinking in middle schoolers? 

Just like grown-ups, middle schoolers would love some activities that hit at the right spot to help them think logically and rationally. In this post, we will dive into what critical thinking is, its benefits for middle schoolers, and finally, some cool activities to preach it better. 

Critical Thinking- What it actually is?

Appropriate thinking is imperative if it comes to the pinch. Purposeful thinking, decision making, and appropriate problem solving make a person a critical thinker. 

By Definition, Critical thinking is the “objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgment.” This definition stipulates you have some crucial attributes. We have talked about this essential trait in our previous posts, but what aspects of critical thinking should middle schoolers be aiming at?

Aspects of critical thinking

You need to comprehend crucial attributes that form a critical thinking mix for middle school students with the definition. These are:

• Quick Thinking

Critical thinkers attribute quick thinking in the first place. It is vital for making quick judgments regarding problems. Recognizing and remembering things is the basis for quick thinking. Identifying a problem, and thinking promptly yet logically about the solution makes a student an avid thinker. 

• Creative Aspect

Being creative requires you to think broadly about the logic and reasons behind every problem. Additionally, it can bring out multiple perspectives, making solutions easier. Moreover, a person needs to visualize the given challenge and distinguish it to infer better to be creative.

• Analytical Aspect

The final aspect is Analytical thinking. This includes taking proper inference, analyzing, and synthesizing the challenge. This not only is for a problem but even for data. This aspect of critical thinking typically succors students during examinations, where a student needs to analyze questions to draft an exemplary answer. 

Critical thinking activities- A virtue for middle schoolers

Based on the above-discussed aspects, some activities inculcate the best critical thinking characteristics that help students in the most quintessential ways. Lending a hand to middle schoolers and indulging them in critical thinking activities would give the students a taste of a better future; other benefits of these activities include-

• Critical thinking activities make students understand the challenges so that they can plan for a solution. Ultimately, fearing and running away from challenges is not healthy.
• Activities improve the student’s problem-solving ability. Brainstorming and getting out of the situation ultimately boosts the diagnostic and investigative spheres, which helps the child think logically, rationally, and critically.
• Decision-making skills make an individual ardent and capable of mighty things. Practices and tasks that enhance critical thinking ensure students become independent during and after school. 
• Activities help students perform better in school. This results in an improved academic performance as these activities also make them self-reliant learners.  

Critical thinking activities for middle school students

1. Mind Squeeze 

In this activity, the teacher would choose a set of 5 words for every student. The whole process revolves around the teacher showing these words for a few seconds and then hiding them; later, the student would recite the words aloud by remembering them. 

A lot like the memory game, Mind Squeeze tests the recalling ability of the students while giving them a chance to improve their memory. Thus, this is a good recognizing and recalling activity for middle schoolers.  

2. Anonymous Passage

Practising passages would be a great routine to develop reading habits in students. It also helps them retain crucial details. To start with, the teacher makes a passage and a set of questions. The teacher reads the passage aloud so that all the students can hear it. Now, a few questions are asked on the basis of the passage. 

The activity stipulates the students to remember the whole passage so that they can answer the questions being asked later. This game helps students improve their recalling memory, as the whole game is about remembering the passage. Moreover, the communication and understanding skills of the students are put to the test as their answers would wholly depend on it.  

3. The Scene Setting

Creativity is a crucial aspect of critical thinking. To be creative, students need to be good at visualising scenes too. The teacher shows a prop in this game—any object like a pencil, bird, or ball. Students need to create a scene and story around it. This game gets interesting as the prop gets unique. For instance, asking students to write a story around a needle can explore the depth of their creativity. 

At first, it might seem like a challenging and daunting task. But later, it becomes quite fun, and students gather ideas of how to present their prop in front of the whole class. This not only boosts their creativity but also appraises their communication skills. 

4. Touch On The Error

The students can know about their abilities to distinguish by this activity. The teacher gives children a chance to play with letters here. For instance, the teacher provides children with a sentence where some letters are replaced with ‘Z.’ Now, children may be asked to distinguish the errors and find out the right answers for the same. 

The activity’s primary purpose is to form a pattern which the students can notice and later identify the actual word or sentence. For example, The teacher might give words like- BZG, CZT, ZND, ZPPLE. The common letter here is ‘z’; now, the students need to figure out what this Z stands for. 

Teachers may also mark off all vowels or cross 3rd word of each sentence. By increasing the difficulty level of these words, the teachers can help students brainstorm, which would ultimately add to their critical thinking skills. 

5. Settle the Confusion

Critical thinkers seldom get bewildered. In fact, they make the right inferences from gathered information. Students are offered a confusing question to ensure the same. This way, they can infer and conclude better. In this activity, the teacher can read out a story or play a video for the students. Later, confusing and challenging questions can be asked for the kids. This helps them think harder and answer rationally based on their understanding. 

The questions might look baffling at first, but when a child pushes the right buttons, the complexity would not look like a stumbling block.

6. Award the Winner

Here a student is called upon and asked to judge traits of peers. To prop up this, they asked to choose one peer whom they wanted to award. It doesn’t end here; they need to offer reasons behind their choice. To make it more exciting, teachers can take the call of pairing two extremely unlike students together and give them some time to know some crucial things about each other. Later, they can award each other based on their impression given during the few minutes. 

This shows and improves their judgment skills and, ultimately, critical thinking. 

7. One in Million Sentence

Great for helping students get a new idea about the day-to-day objects, this activity would start with each student asked to write a small phrase on a piece of paper and put them in a box.  Once everyone is done with it, the teacher shuffles them up and hands one slip to each student; Later, the whole class is divided into small groups of 5-6 members. Now, each group is asked to arrange their slips to make a meaningful sentence. 

The way students unjumble the sentences to make them look the most meaningful would showcase a lot about their capabilities. Such activities also put their cognition capacity to the test.

8. Make Out Utilities

Creative thinker analyses an object or challenge in multiple dimensions. Making out Utilities can help students to do the same. In this activity, students are provided with an item—say vegetables. They have to mention five ways to use them. Thinking about the five uses of vegetables can bewilder students and encourage them to think hard. This activity teaches students how to take multiple inferences from day-to-day properties.  

Teachers must give unique words to students. Words that have easily thinkable 5 uses should be avoided. This will make them deliberate through, which will ultimately impact their creative and critical thinking, 

9. One day President 

The ultimate agenda of a critical thinker is to put things together for a solution. The activity, One day president, makes every student take the position of a president. Now, each of them should state what changes they can make in the country in three aspects: financial, educational, and people. Other than brainstorming, a lot of the child’s general awareness too can be judged by this activity. 

This game would be riveting if the children are aware of their surroundings and know what’s happening around the globe. As a president in the activity, they will also experience being a leader, which is crucial for free thinking.

10.  Adventure time

As the name implies, Adventure time activity lets students explore. In this, the entire class is divided into groups of 2-3 students. Each group is given a topic on which they have to make a board game. The best board game is the winner.

This activity makes students think about every aspect of the given topic. For instance, if the topic is forest, students will explore what can be the challenges they would face in a forest— wild animals, weather, and many more.

Summing up

Being a critical thinker can be far-reaching and make the students more decisive, insightful, and coherent. They can be a cut above when mastered at a tender age. 21st-century kids need essential critical thinking skills to apply knowledge and solve unconventional problems. These distinct skills are not limited to an inborn attribute but can be grasped through relevant practices. Personal practices accompanied by activities can give astounding outcomes; thus, the same should be ingrained in students. Ponder the activities above to see if they make a remarkable change.

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post 10 Fun Critical Thinking Activities for Middle School Students appeared first on Number Dyslexia.

An individual can have four modes of thinking: Analytical, Divergent, Critical, and Creative. After identifying and defining information (analysing), one has to process the same by conceptualising and solving them. This is what Critical thinking actually is. 

On the other hand, dyslexia, as we know, is a result of different brain wiring. So, can unique neurological wiring¹ make the person a better critical thinker? To better understand the same, we here discuss how dyslexia affects logical thinking. 

Critical thinking components- Do they have it all?

We have already discussed critical thinking and its various characteristics in our previous posts. Critical thinkers possess more than essential skills of analysis, argument, reasoning, and problem-solving abilities. The underlying component is probably Empathy. Let us look into the status of each component minutely.

Conceptualising Abilities- Their edge over others

In common opinion, Dyslexics are as smart as their peers. They are excellent visualisers, to the extent that they can explain almost every detail about their imagination. Research conducted by Martina Hedenius² shows that Dyslexics have a better picture memory.

Conceptualising with having clarity of every detail leads to visualising. Being sublime helps them be more creative, retain better, and also assists with other critical thinking abilities. 

Analysing- It’s a Snap

Analysing abilities form a positive streak. The unique wiring makes individuals with dyslexia great visualisers as they remember facts in the form of experiences, examples, and stories. In a reasoning research³ by Dr. Alison M. Bacon, it is seen that people with dyslexia show no impedance to visual aids, unlike others, making them the best visual inferrers and analysers. 

The pictorial analysis makes their task easy, and they end up working in highly interdisciplinary fields. Thus, analysing is a snap as long as they have pictorial analysis.

Problem-solving- Not really a snag!

A thesis⁴ was made on students with unique neurological wiring of age 9-13 to analyse their problem-solving skills. The goal was to look at these children while they solved arithmetic problems. The results showed that the different brain activities made no difference with respect to the working memory. This also lies true when there are symbols and meanings.

However, these children took some quality time to read, understand and recognize those keywords for later reference. Thus, It can be taxing for them to retain the facts and tackle achieving the answer.

Strategies for better critical thinking- Can it be amplified?

We can acknowledge the status of each critical thinking component from the previous section. However, it would be impactful for individuals with dyslexia if they mull over some tips to polish these components.  

Tips to refine- Exposing those edges

All the above sections clue that critical thinking in people with dyslexia is conceivable; interpreting some tips can refine those edges:

• Knowing exactly what you want will solve half of the problem. People often fail to set targets and make decisions. Overcomplicating the problems induces unhappiness. The first step towards critical thinking is to know what you want or what the problem needs.
• Decision-making and critical thinking are personal. Know that you are not always right, and knowing this should not constrain you from being a critical thinker. Being ready to face the consequences of wrong decisions builds up the courage to take a bold decision.

• Problem-solving sometimes needs you to break the problem into solvable pieces. Critical thinkers should know how to break problems into parts. Knowing what needs to be done first and then setting priorities can make critical thinking effective.  

• The best habit that one can induce is to question the assumptions. Everyone has a set of assumptions about everything, which may not be true—question these assumptions to analyse truly.

• Reasoning is the ability to think about anything logically and sensibly. People often reason without the proper information, They often over-generalize or under-generalize the situation.
• Diversified thoughts give better results by combining thoughts of multiple brains and ideologies. Thus, form an opinion after cross-checking from different sources.
• Thinking in reverse can be an effective tip when you are stuck with a puzzling question; when the question is looked at from another perspective, new ways to interpret open, thus increasing chances to solve. 

Summing Up

Critical thinkers are problem solvers, empathetic, logical, and one step ahead in creativity.  When the teacher gives a problem-themed question, a critical thinking student takes the first step to analyze it and thus strives for the probable solution for it. But a crucial thing about critical thinking is that it just does not play a role in education. When it comes to individuals with dyslexia, their abilities to think rationally are often questioned. But, thinking logically and creatively is one of the unappreciated traits of dyslexia. 

The important aspects of critical thinking like Conceptualization and analysis are their edges, while people with dyslexia may take some time to infer and solve problems. However, pondering through some tips may amplify their attributes. 

References:

[1] Ordinary and extraordinary brain development: Anatomical variation in developmental dyslexia (Galaburda A, Annals of Dyslexia, 1989, January) 

[2] Enhanced Recognition Memory after Incidental Encoding in Children with Developmental Dyslexia (Hedenius M, 2013, May 23)

[3] Dyslexia and reasoning: The importance of visual processes (Bacon A. 2010, December 24).

[4] Problem-solving by primary school children with particular reference to dyslexics (Reid P. 2002) 

Manpreet Singh

An engineer, Maths expert, Online Tutor and animal rights activist. In more than 5+ years of my online teaching experience, I closely worked with many students struggling with dyscalculia and dyslexia. With the years passing, I learned that not much effort being put into the awareness of this learning disorder. Students with dyscalculia often misunderstood for having  just a simple math fear. This is still an underresearched and understudied subject. I am also the founder of Smartynote -‘The notepad app for dyslexia’, 

The post Critical Thinking In Individuals With Dyslexia appeared first on Number Dyslexia.