Teach the thinking process! Experts agree that when “thinking power” is improved, reading, comprehension, problem-solving, and writing abilities will follow suit. The 26, highly visual lessons in this unit utilize word, image, and shape associations to make students aware of the similarities and differences between objects and word meanings. “See how the pictures are different. How many differences can you find?”) Analogies are also covered. (“Bite is to Dog as Sting is to ___: Bee, Hurt, Bear.”)The inclusion of creative illustrations greatly assists the learning process. The easy-to-use activities are sure to improve critical thinking skills.

Exercise thinking skills and build vocabulary! In each of the 24 lessons in this unit, student must first answer a series of random letter-placement clues. If their “logic” is correct, the letters spell a word. Students are then challenged to write an original sentence using the word. The vocabulary featured is at an easy level so that the focus is on thinking more than on word knowledge. Creative illustrations and coloring activities add to the fun of learning.

Test logical thinking! Solving the oodles of picture problems and word logic puzzles in this book will keep students’ minds active and promote logical thinking. Children must learn to organize the clues presented so they can reach the logical solutions. In all, there are 25 exercises that progressively increase in difficulty.

Teach problem solving! The 24 lessons in this unit are designed to help students turn abstract problems into graphic, semi-concrete formats. This ability is an important step in the development of effective problem-solving techniques. Example: "Planted four rows of flowers. Six plants in each row." How many flowers? Draw a picture to show how to solve each problem.By creating a visual representation of the components of a problem, students can more easily perform necessary operations. They can also see the logic – or absence of logic – in their solutions. The sequential activities featured here will most certainly help young learners develop critical thinking skills.

“Evaluation” is the most abstract and complex level of critical thinking. To evaluate or make judgments, students must accept a given criteria as the standard before being able to come to an accurate conclusion.The 25 lessons in this unit provide practice with personal values, accuracy of facts, recognizing bias, and using reference sources.Example: “You want to go to a summer camp. What makes a good one?”The sequential activities featured here are sure to develop critical thinking skills.

“Synthesis” is the ability to combine parts of a whole in new and different ways. It requires students to think flexibly, determine alternatives, and find new ways to accomplish a given task. A more advanced level of abstract thinking is needed for synthesis. The 25 lessons in this unit encourage students to go beyond the obvious to more original thoughts. Example: An illustration of a bulb connected to a battery is presented. “Electricity is stored in a battery.” Look at the accompanying pictures of batteries, wires, and light bulbs. “Which bulbs do you think will light up?”The sequential activities featured here are sure to develop critical thinking skills.

Promote thinking!Analysis is the ability to break a whole into its component parts and understand how each functions as part of the whole. The ability to reason logically is a major skill at this step of the critical thinking process. The 27 lessons in this unit include a variety of analogies and puzzles. As students work the exercises they learn to examine the whole, make judgments about the pieces, and finally see how these pieces relate to each other.Example: “Hoot. Clang. Creak. Yelp. Whinny…: A door that needs oiling would ____. A hungryHorse would ____. A frightened puppy would ____.”These sequential activities are sure to improve thinking and logic skills. And, because they seem more like games than work, students will have loads of fun.

Applying information. “Application” is the use of information that is recalled and understood. When students use acquired facts and skills in a new situation, they are practicing the transfer of solutions from one problem to another. The 26 lessons in this unit provide plenty of practice in applying knowledge to practical situations. Students are asked to do alphabetical ordering, work with dictionary definitions, sequence time/size/money, compare shapes, finish sentences, and more using information provided or recalled.

Putting knowledge to work. Comprehension implies the understanding of information and the ability to see basic relationships. The 26 lessons in this unit provide plenty of practice in areas that emphasize comprehension. Students are involved in interpreting verbal and visual communications (A dinosaur “size chart” is provided. “How long was the Tyrannosaurus?”), making comparisons (Using the Table of Contents provided: “Which chapter is shorter?”), and finding relationships with the “big picture” (Using the map of the Lone Star Camp: “Where does the trail from the cabin lead?”). The sequential activities featured here are sure to develop critical thinking skills.

Informed thinking! “Knowledge” is defined by Bloom’s Taxonomy as “the obtaining and recall of information.” As such, it is an important step in building effective thinking and problem solving skills. When students are able to absorb information or easily recall it, their ability to effectively think and reason is expanded.The 26 lessons in this unit provide plenty of practice in areas that emphasize knowledge.Classifying shapes and words: (“Things you put air in: beach ball, saw, tires, skis…”), analyzing images: (“If the sentence is a FACT you can prove by the picture, write FACT on the line.”), distinguishing real from make-believe (“Mr. Bibble sent his nephew a monkey that could make a banana cream pie.”) are just some of the exercises featured.

Reasonable thinking! The 22 lessons in this unit cover five major areas of reasoning skills. The sequential activities featured here will most certainly help young learners develop critical thinking skills.Real vs. Make-believe: A fairy godmother? A bumpy road? A magic banana?Inferring: What does not belong? “Happy: humming a merry tune, a lost kitten, a closed door…”Fact vs. Opinion: Write one fact and one opinion about this picture of an alligator.Assumptions: “If the thermometer is at 5 degrees, you can assume you are going to feel _____.”Cause and Effect: “Sara took a basket on her walk because she knew the berries were ripe. Cause? Effect?”

Learning a life skill! At a very young age, children encounter the need to follow verbal directions. As they grow, the directions become more complex. The 23 lessons in this unit use math, language, art, and listening skills - as well as reasoning, logic, and visualization - to develop critical thinking. The primary purpose of each activity is to focus on following directions. Example: Count all the members of your family - even your pets. How many feet are in your family?The activities featured begin at a fairly simple level and gradually become more difficult.

Boost test scores to new heights with this practice-packed book!The fun, easy-to-do lessons will guide your students through important skills, one-by-one, while the appealing illustrations are sure to keep interest soaring. Part of the Score Booster Series, this comprehensive, teacher-designed workbook is loaded with high-interest lessons that focus on many of the essential skills students are required to know on standardized tests. Easy to incorporate into the daily curriculum, these high-interest activities are sure to improve the reading, math, and language skills of even the most reluctant learner. 144-page book includes an answer key.

Boost Reading Comprehension!Whether being asked to read a newspaper article about an “Ice Man,” a description of the different parts of a castle, or a letter written to Benjamin Franklin, the 30 illustrated activities included in this book provide an interesting way to boost comprehension skills.By answering questions about information presented on Iceland, John Glenn’s boyhood, the different parts of the human ear, and much more, students will fine tune their reading, writing, and spelling skills.

Hone reading skills!Whether being asked to read a short newspaper article about space machines, a description of the different parts of a spider, or a letter written by Daniel Boone, the 30 illustrated activities included in this book provide an interesting way to boost comprehension skills.By answering questions about information presented on “why the eye’s pupils change size,” a short biography of John James Audubon, the different parts of a dollar bill, and much more, students will fine tune their reading, writing, and spelling skills. This 32-page book includes an answer key.

Making sense of the written word.After reading a story about “directing air traffic” or finishing a description about “horse saddles,” students are asked to use the information they have learned. What part is the girth anyway?Creative illustrations are a part of this learning process. For example, a list of mythical characters including a “centaur” are first defined. Then pupils are asked to identify the corresponding image. Can you figure out which creature is a “griffin?”Without a doubt, the 30 illustrated activities included in this book provide an intriguing way to boost comprehension skills.

Understanding the written word - in all its forms.Whether being asked to read an advertisement, decode a message, or follow a recipe, the 30 illustrated activities included in this book provide an intriguing way to boost comprehension skills.From answering questions about a personal letter, identifying true/false statements after reading a paragraph on cats, or completing a crossword puzzle after finishing a story about “Bottle Messages,” the lessons in this book will make honing reading, writing, and spelling skills an enjoyable exercise.

Reading Made Fun for Young Minds!“Draw a blue line from the animal to its food.” “Make an X on the hat.” “Circle the title that tells about the picture.”Creative illustrations and comprehension-building directions for executing the 30 lessons in this book are sure to keep students on their toes. Whether “writing a word under its heading” or “circling phrases that do not belong,” children cannot help but hone their reading, writing, and spelling skills.