How to Teach Critical Thinking

How to Teach

Critical Thinking

Every minute of life in the modern world, we are confronted with information and misinformation, advertising and distractions, complexity and ambiguity. Making sense of it all — distilling it, separating the important from the trivial — requires skill, patience, and practice. It requires, in brief, critical thinking. Yet we largely do not teach our children how to do it.

Reboot’s new guide contains, among other things, resources for teaching critical thinking to students of all ages, in any subject, including math, science, literature, civics, writing, and philosophy.

The Guide — written with teachers, for teachers — is an invaluable resource for teaching students the skills they need to be engaged and informed global citizens.

1. Teaching Critical Thinking: How to Inspire Better Reasoning

Critical thinking has never been more important than it is today. Learn basics like what critical thinking means, what habits good critical thinkers develop, and how critical thinking can be integrated into existing curricula.

2. Critical Reading: Developing Critical Thinking Through Literature

Literature is a great way to get students thinking more critically. By considering open-ended questions, interrogating multiple perspectives, and connecting texts to the world at large, students develop essential interpretive skills.

3. Critical Thinking in Science: How to Foster Scientific Reasoning Skills

Scientific reasoning and scientific method are cornerstones of critical thinking. This article offers tips for integrating critical thinking into both small-group activities for younger students and labs for older students.

4. Teaching Argumentative Writing: Critical Thinking and the Importance of Revision

Writing and thinking are intimately connected processes. Teaching argumentative writing, especially through structured feedback and revision, helps students develop important analytical skills.

5. Teaching Mathematical Reasoning: Critical Thinking Through Problem-Solving and Modeling

Traditional mathematical education sometimes gets bogged down in rote application of formulas and tools. Our article on mathematical reasoning leverages open-ended problem-solving and modeling activities to get students thinking more deeply about math — and the world around them.

6. Teaching Media Literacy: How to Help Students Navigate the News

Media literacy is an absolute must for today’s young people. As they navigate the rise of fake news and misinformation, disruptive changes to media, and endless tech-based distractions, students need tools to think critically about information and media.

7. Teaching Civics: How to Cover Society and Politics in Contentious Times

Teaching civics in today’s highly contested political environment can be daunting. But it’s vital, both for students and for society in general, that young people gain practice discussing controversial issues.

8. Philosophy and Critical Thinking: The Value of Asking the Deep Questions

Although it’s not taught widely at the K-12 level, philosophy can be invaluable to developing critical thinking skills. It helps students to reflect more deeply and abstractly on their own values and knowledge, and to build connections between subjects.

Lindsey Jansen on Reboot's Teachers' Guide

Watch Illinois Teacher of the Year Lindsey Jensen describe the value of Reboot’s Teachers’ Guide to Critical Thinking.