Eight Reasons Why Students Need to Master Critical Thinking Skills

The Reading Ranch® Tutorial Center announced recently that we are expanding our literacy program to include fifth and sixth graders. We are excited to make this transition, as the new approach will allow us to work with these kiddos through the end of elementary school – instead of just up to fourth grade – so they are better prepared for the road ahead.

In that announcement, which included a breakdown of the various age-group classes and skills that will be covered, you may have noticed we are placing a ton of emphasis on critical thinking skills for the older children. Critical thinking goes beyond simply reading a book or being able to memorize or recall information and facts. It is a person’s ability to analyze, evaluate, and formulate their own opinion in ways that help them solve problems.

For school-aged children, it is imperative that these critical thinking skills be honed as early as possible. Why? For starters, we use critical thinking skills every day, and for children, having that skillset helps them make better decisions, solve problems, follow through on goals, and better understand the world around them.

At The Reading Ranch, our critical thinking courses focus on analysis and reasoning, direct and indirect questions, word study, connotations, thesis and arguments, and more.

Here are 8 reasons why students need to master critical thinking skills:

1. They’ll have more control over their learning
2. It allows the student to become more independent and self-directed
3. They’ll have the courage to try new things
4. They can readily accept different points of view and formulate their own opinions
5. Critical thinking skills translate into other areas of academics, creating balanced achievement
6. Allows a child to assess their strengths and weaknesses
7. Promotes better decision-making and spurs creativity
8. Enhances their ability to work with other people in a team setting