To think or not to think? 9 must-know critical thinking strategies!

Unfortunately, many of today’s schools emphasize memorization and test-taking skills over critical and creative thinking abilities. Unlike memorizing facts, procedures, and dates, critical thinking skills are crucial to thriving in the real world. In order to be an independent, informed, and successful adult, chances are you will need to know how to solve problems creatively and analyze information thoroughly. 

Since many of you reading this blog post have children in the FCPS school system, we thought we would share with you some of Fairfax County’s critical and creative thinking strategies that they employ in their teaching. Even if your child is not enrolled in FCPS, you can definitely benefit from reading this list! 

• Visualization – consciously forming mental images of something
• Questioning – actively clarifying, exploring, challenging, and assessing the understanding of ideas
• Analogies – comparing two items in order to perceive similarities
• Plus, Minus, Interesting – framing the consideration of positive, negative, and intriguing aspects of an idea into one picture
• Point of View – analyzing how different people might look at the same idea and/ or situation
• Mind Mapping – recording information with supporting ideas and examples that branch out from the main idea
• Encapsulation – stating ideas in precise and concise form
• Decisions & Outcomes – understanding the choosing from alternatives affects the event which follows
• Fluency, Originality, Flexibility & Elaboration – the production of many ideas, the expression of new ideas, and the recombination of existing ideas.

Because our tutors are passionate about teaching and the process of learning, we will help your child develop these key skills while making sure they excel in all of their classes!