The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is making a broad attempt through new and revised curriculum to enhance critical thinking skills in children, beginning in kindergarten.
Many would argue that more emphasis should be placed on the core subjects of math, science, history and English before critical thinking. I would like to offer a small piece of insight that may help change the way in which we perceive the term “critical thinking.”
kAm(92E 5@ J@F E9:?< @7 H96? J@F 962C E9:D E6C>n xD J@FC A6C46AE:@? @?6 E92E H@F=5 DF886DE E96 >6C6 24E @7 E9:?<:?8 @C H@F=5 J@F G:6H 4C:E:42= E9@F89E 2D 2 AC@46DD 3J H9:49 H6 >2<6 564:D:@?Dnk^Am
kAmq@E9 2?DH6CD 2C6 4@CC64E[ 3FE >2?J A6@A=6 =:<6? 4C:E:42= E9:?<:?8 E@ E96 23:=:EJ E@ 5:DA=2J 4@>>@? D6?D6 2?5 4@C6 G2=F6D C2E96C E92? G:6H:?8 :E 2D 2 =62C?65 D<:==]k^Am
kAmxE :D :>A6C2E:G6 E@ 2446AE E92E[ 2D 2 ?2E:@?[ H6 92G6 364@>6 =6DD :?G@=G65 :? E6249:?8 @FC 49:=5C6? 9@H E@ 4@>6 E@ 4@?4=FD:@?D 32D65 @? C6D62C4965 :?7@C>2E:@?] (6 92G6 2==@H65 @FCD6=G6D E96 =FIFCJ @7 >2<:?8 564:D:@?D 32D65 ?@E @? H92E H6 36=:6G6 2?5 42? AC@G6[ 3FE E9C@F89 6>@E:@?2= C6DA@?D6D 32D65 @? H92E H6 A6C46:G6 E9C@F89 E96 24E:@?D @C :?24E:@?D @7 @E96CD]k^Am
kAm%96C6 2C6 2 ?F>36C @7 E96@C:6D 7=@2E:?8 2C@F?5 2D E@ 9@H E9:D 92D 92AA6?65]k^Am
kAm$@4:2= ?6EH@C<:?8 AC@G:56D 2? 6?5=6DD 32CC286 @7 CF>@CD 2?5 :?G2=:52E65 ?6HD E92E H6 A2DD @? E@ @?6 2?@E96C H:E9@FE >2<:?8 E96 D=:89E6DE 2EE6>AE E@ 4@CC@3@C2E6 :ED 2FE96?E:4:EJ] (6 D66 D@>6E9:?8[ C624E E@ :ED 4@?E6?E 2?5 “D92C6” E96 DE@CJ 2D ECFE9 H:E9@FE D@ >F49 2D E2AA:?8 :?E@ @FC 4C:E:42= E9:?<:?8 D<:==D E92E H@F=5 8:G6 4C65:E E@ik^Am
kAm• tG:56?46 E9C@F89 @3D6CG2E:@?k^Am
kAm• r@?E6IEk^Am
kAm• #6=6G2?E 4C:E6C:2 7@C >2<:?8 E96 ;F58>6?E H6==k^Am
kAm• pAA=:423=6 E649?:BF6D 7@C 7@C>:?8 E96 ;F58>6?Ek^Am
kAm• pAA=:423=6 E96@C6E:42= 4@?DECF4ED 7@C F?56CDE2?5:?8 E96 AC@3=6> 2?5 E96 BF6DE:@? 2E 92?5k^Am
kAmt?828:?8 AC@3=6>D 2?5 564:D:@?D FD:?8 E96D6 D<:==D 2==@HD FD E@ 6>A=@J ?@E @?=J =@8:4[ 3FE :?E6==64EF2= 4C:E6C:2 DF49 2D 4=2C:EJ[ 4C65:3:=:EJ[ 244FC24J[ AC64:D:@?[ C6=6G2?46[ 56AE9[ D:8?:7:42?46 2?5 72:C?6DD] u2:=FC6 E@ FD6 E96D6 6DD6?E:2= 4C:E6C:2 2==@HD 7@C >:D4@?DECF4E:@? @7 6G6?ED 2?5 :?7@C>2E:@? E@ 4:C4F=2E6 2E 9:89 C2E6D @7 DA665 E9C@F89 @FC ?6H6DE E649?@=@8J] xD :E 2?J H@?56C E92E H6 2C6[ :?5665[ “5F>3:?8 5@H?” 2D 2 D@4:6EJnk^Am
kAmx? @C56C E@ 4FCE2:= E9:D AC@46DD[ H6 >FDE 24E BF:4<=J 2?5 677:4:6?E=J 3J 65F42E:?8 A2C6?ED 2?5 49:=5C6? @? E96 ?646DD:EJ @7 E96 4C:E:42= E9:?<:?8 AC@46DD] !6C92AD[ D@>6H96C6 2=@?8 E96 =:?6[ H6 3642>6 E@@ 3FDJ E@ :56?E:7J E92E E96D6 D<:==D H6C6 36:?8 ?68=64E65[ 3FE H6 >FDE 368:? E@ C67=64E FA@? 2?5 F?56CDE2?5 E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 E6249:?8 @FC 49:=5C6? 9@H E@ E9:?< @? 2 9:896C =6G6=]k^Am
kAmq68:??:?8 H:E9 9F>:=:EJ W36:?8 >@56DE 2?5 C6DA64E7F=X :D E96 A6C764E A=246 E@ DE2CE] &?56CDE2?5:?8 E92E H6 2C6 2== 72F=EJ 2?5 42A23=6 @7 >2<:?8 >:DE2<6D >2<6D :E 62D:6C 7@C 49:=5C6? E@ 2446AE E96:C @H? 72:=FC6D 2?5 @A6?D E96 5@@C @7 6>A2E9J E@H2C5 @E96CD]k^Am
kAmx?E68C:EJ W9@?6DEJ[ ECFE97F=?6DD[ 244FC24JX 2?5 A6CD6G6C2?46 W?6G6C 8:G:?8 FAX 2C6 =62C?65 EC2:ED 2D H6==] t?4@FC28:?8 49:=5C6? E@ 36 72:C\>:?565 2?5 A6CD:DE6?E H96? 6?82865 :? E2D<D 2==@HD E96> E@ 364@>6 DEC@?8\>:?565 2?5 8@2=\@C:6?E65]k^Am
kAmr@FC286[ 2FE@?@>J W>2<:?8 E96:C @H? 8@@5 49@:46DX 2?5 4@?7:56?46 :? 8@@5 C62D@?:?8 D9@F=5 2=H2JD 36 6?4@FC2865] #2E:@?2=:K:?8 2?5 4@>A=6E:?8 E2D<D 7@C J@FC 49:=5C6? :?9:3:ED E96:C 23:=:EJ E@ E9:?< E96:C H2J E9C@F89 D:EF2E:@?D 2?5 DFAAC6DD6D >2EFC:EJ]k^Am
kAm%96D6 2C6 E96 E@@=D ?646DD2CJ 7@C 49:=5C6? E@ 368:? E96 C2E:@?2=:K2E:@? AC@46DD H96? AC6D6?E65 H:E9 >2E9[ 9:DE@CJ[ t?8=:D9 2?5 D4:6?46 AC@3=6>D] (:E9@FE E96 23:=:EJ E@ C64@8?:K6 E96 AC@46DD @7 D@=G:?8 E96:C A6CD@?2= 52:=J 492==6?86D[ E96J H:== 92G6 ?@ 7@F?52E:@? @? H9:49 E@ D@=G6 >@C6 4@>A=6I AC@3=6>D]k^Am
kAmpD 25F=ED[ H6 >FDE 7@4FD @? 9:896C =6G6=D @7 @FC @H? 23:=:EJ E@ FE:=:K6 4C:E:42= E9:?<:?8 D<:==D] r9:=5C6? >:CC@C 6G6CJ >@G6 H6 >2<6 3642FD6 H6 2C6 E96:C D@F= D@FC46 @7 ECFDE :? =62C?:?8] x7 H6 2C6 F?H:==:?8 E@ 255C6DD @FC @H? =6G6= @7 4C:E:42= E9:?<:?8[ H6 C@3 6G6CJ@?6 2C@F?5 FD @7 E96 6DD6?E:2= 23:=:EJ E@ 5@ D@]k^Am
kAm(6 ?665 E@ D=@H 5@H? 2?5 >2<6 2? 677@CE E@ E9:?< 23@FE E96D6 E9:?8Dik^Am
kAm• pC6 H6 36:?8 AC6;F5:465 @C 3:2D65 E@H2C5 2 D:EF2E:@?nk^Am
kAm• xD AC@A282?52 36:?8 FD65nk^Am
kAm• p> x 5646:G:?8 >JD6=7 3J H:==7F==J 2446AE:?8 2 E96@CJ 2D ECFE9nk^Am
kAm• pC6 E96 724ED 5:DE@CE65nk^Am
kAm• w2G6 x C646:G65 >:D:?7@C>2E:@?nk^Am
kAm#64@8?:K:?8 E96D6 E9:?8D 2?5 2==@H:?8 49:=5C6? E@ >@56= @FC 3692G:@C H96? E9:?<:?8 E9:?8D E9C@F89 H:== 86?6C2E6 2 >@C6 D@A9:DE:42E65[ :?E6==64EF2= 2?5 25G2?465 D@4:6EJ]k^Am
kAmr2? J@F E9:?< @7 2?J@?6 H9@ 92D AC@7@F?5=J 27764E65 J@FC =:76 E9C@F89 E96:C 23:=:EJ E@ E9:?< 4C:E:42==Jn x? >J @A:?:@?[ H6 D9@F=5 36 23=6 E@ C2EE=6 @77 E6?D @7 ?2>6D] x 42? @?=J 4@>6 FA H:E9 2 76H @7 >J @H?]k^Am
kAm!=62D6 G:D:E E96 |:DD@FC: s6A2CE>6?E @7 t=6>6?E2CJ 2?5 $64@?52CJ t5F42E:@? H63D:E6 W56D6]>@]8@GX 2?5 EJA6 “4C:E:42= E9:?<:?8” :?E@ E96 D62C49 6?8:?6 E@ 7:?5 2 G2DE 2CC2J @7 :?DECF4E:@?2= 2CE:4=6D @? 9@H J@F 42? 368:? E@ D92C6 E96D6 6DD6?E:2= D<:==D H:E9 J@FC 49:=5C6?]k^Am
kAm{6E’D 492==6?86 @?6 2?@E96C E@ C64=2:> E96 D@4:6EJ H6 @?46 H6C6 2?5 =@D6 E92E H9:49 :D >62?:?8=6DD 2?5 FD6=6DD]k^Am
kAmw2G6 2 8C62E H66<Pk^Am