One of the most sought-after skills by employers is critical thinking, but would you believe that most schools come up short in this department? A focus on rote memorization and standardized testing has made teaching this skill rather difficult, so it’s up to parents to prepare their kids for the workplace by teaching them critical thinking. Books that teach critical thinking like the Tuttle Twins series are a great place to start!
PHOTO: Tuttle Twins
Books that Teach Critical Thinking
Before you do anything, establishing a firm foundation through books that teach critical thinking is essential. Books are the best way to set yourself up for conversations that will teach your kids what they’re not learning in school. By reading the same books as your kids, either with them or simultaneously, you’ll be able to use the content as a launchpad for your discussions.
The Tuttle Twins series provides some excellent opportunities to trigger conversations that foster critical thinking skills in your kids. The Tuttle Twins books wrap every lesson in an adventure that will engage your kids in the story, helping them retain what they learn and pick up some reasoning skills in the process. If you’re wondering how to raise independent thinkers, the Tuttle Twins books will be an excellent tool!
Some Tuttle Twins books even use American history for kids as a lens for teaching critical thinking, transforming an ordinary curriculum into an amazing dual-learning opportunity! The America’s History books in the Tuttle Twins series do this magnificently. Some other Tuttle Twins books that teach critical thinking include The Tuttle Twins and the Food Truck Fiasco, The Tuttle Twins and the Fate of the Future, and The Tuttle Twins and the Education Vacation.
PHOTO: Tuttle Twins
How to Start Discussions About Critical Thinking
As you read some books that teach critical thinking, you’ll be able to start asking your kids questions about the stories that will have them thinking critically and independently. For parents wondering how to raise independent thinkers, these questions are key:
1. Why do you think the characters acted the way they did?
2. How did they change between the beginning and the end?
3. If you were in the same situation as the characters, what would you have done?
4. Which of the characters would you want to be friends with and why?
5. What was the biggest mistake they made?
6. What do you think was the most important moment in the story and why?
7. If you could rewrite the book to change the way it ended, how would you change it?
8. What do you think happened after the story ended?
9. What was the main problem, and how did the characters solve it?
10. Why do you think the author wrote the book?
11. Which information does the author present as fact, and which do you see as opinion?
12. What’s the moral of the story?
13. How does the story relate to real life?
14. What was the biggest surprise in the story?
15. What part made you think differently about the world?
When formulating questions to go with books that teach critical thinking, avoid yes or no questions. Focus on the how, why, and what to encourage your kids to think more deeply about the story.
The Tuttle Twins series sets out a great path to help you as you learn how to raise independent thinkers who can think critically!
