With the increased emphasis on ensuring student competency via statewide assessments, there is now a need for more attention to focus on the need for thinking in the instruction and learning process. Students needs guidance and strategies. Here are some ideas:

Teaching Thinking Skills (1991) by Kathleen Cotton is a well-researched article. Two points of several in her summary are as follows:

• Instruction in thinking skills promotes intellectual growth and fosters academic achievement gains.
• Instructional approaches found to promote thinking skill development include redirection, probing, and reinforcement; asking higher-order questions during classroom discussions; and lengthening wait-time during classroom questioning.

How Can We Teach Critical Thinking? a research review article by Kathryn S. Carr (1990). Major points in the article are that teachers should encourage:

1. Critical Reading - learning to evaluate, draw inferences and arrive at conclusions based on the evidence. Carr's suggestions are:

• News media in the class

  • Differing accounts and editorials can be compared as a way of helping students read with a questioning attitude.
  • Students can construct their own arguments for discussion or publication
• Use children's literature - to consider ideas, values, and ethical questions.

2. Writing to Learn - thinking through writing. Suggestions from the literature:

3. Classification Games - these play a significant role in the development of logical thinking and abstract concepts from early childhood to adulthood. Classification skill is integral to vocabulary-concept development and, therefore, to reading and retention of information.Ideas suggested:

Conclusion: Every teacher should create an atmosphere where students are encouraged to read deeply, question, engage in divergent thinking, look for relationships among ideas, and grapple with real-life issues.