Critical Thinking in the Elementary Classroom: Engaging Young Minds with Meaningful Content

Even young students can develop vital critical thinking skills when they have access to rich content, meaningful opportunities to practice, and guided instruction.

Critical thinking—evaluating and analyzing data to make informed judgments—is essential in both the classroom and everyday life. Teaching critical thinking skills in the elementary grades is often an afterthought—if it's a thought at all.

Veteran primary teacher and instructional leader Erin Shadowens proposes that students of all ...