Critical Thinking Skills
Critical thinking skills are incredibly important skills to have today. Thinking objectively and fairly creates positive outcomes.
Children need to be taught ‘how to think’, so they can think. Using critical thinking skills is a technique that gives children the tools to think for themselves; to reason objectively; to make sound judgements and decisions based on facts and not opinion.
Use these strategies & techniques to develop children’s ability to help question, challenge and evidence the integrity of thoughts and ideas in a critical way.
Think like a ...thinker
Click on the images below (reasoning, information processing, problem solving) to discover how to be a stronger critical thinker.
Reasoning
Information processing
Problem solving
Information Processing
Using first hand experiences to answer questions; using a range of information sources and ICT tools to find answers; analyzing; interpreting; evaluating; presenting; make critical and informed judgements; expressing ideas; reviewing and evaluating work.
This key has a rectangular face to represent some of the products we use to find our information, for example, books, television, computers and newspapers.
Problem Solving
The identifying and understanding the problem; asking questions with regard to identifying the problem; planning ways to solve the problem; monitoring progress in tacking a problem; reviewing a solution to a problem.
This key is scratching his head to help him think and holding a puzzle piece to represent the puzzle or problem he is trying to solve.
Examples of the critical thinking questions we ask the children to get them thinking, reasoning, explaining and debating.
Why do we ask questions? Is it good to make mistakes? How do we know if we’ve done our best?
What makes someone kind? Is it better to work alone or as a team? Do we learn more by doing or by listening?
Critical thinking is not an extra subject. It is a teachable habit of mind, made visible through talk, questioning, evidence, reflection and subject knowledge.
Why it matters
For children: critical thinking helps pupils become independent learners, not passive recipients. It supports metacognition: planning, monitoring and evaluating their own learning.
The EEF (Education Endowment Foundation) describes metacognition as helping pupils think explicitly about their learning through planning, monitoring and evaluating strategies.
Why it matters
For society: children are growing up surrounded by persuasive media, misinformation, social pressure and artificial intelligence.
They need to ask, “Who says?”, “What is the evidence?”, “What might be missing?”, and “Can I trust this?”
The EEF also highlights the importance of pupils learning to reason, discuss, argue and explain, not just answer questions.
Why it matters
For the future: the OECD’s (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)international work treats critical and creative thinking as teachable competencies needed for education systems preparing children for complex future challenges.
The OECD similarly frames critical and creative thinking as skills that can be intentionally taught, practised and assessed through classroom routines and professional learning.
Definition: ‘Critical thinking means learning to ask good questions, use evidence, explain reasoning, consider alternatives, and change your mind when the evidence changes.’
I wonder... I notice... I think because… I disagree because… I changed my mind because…
“Critical thinking is not a luxury for older children. It is a basic entitlement. Our pupils need knowledge, but they also need to know how to question, reason, evaluate and reflect. If we do not teach this explicitly, some children will pick it up by chance, and others will not. Our job is to make the hidden thinking of successful learners visible to every child.”
That last point is important: explicitly teaching critical thinking is also an equity issue. Children who already hear reasoning, debate and explanation at home may arrive with some of these habits. Others need school to teach them deliberately.
The posters we use in school (see below)
