HowCanIHelpmyChildThinkCriticallyinMath?

Askyourchildtoexplainwhattheyknowabouttheproblem.
Tellmewhattheproblemis,andhelpmeunderstandhowyouare
thinkingaboutit.Whatdoyouthinkweneedtodo?
o Thisencouragesthestudenttotakethefirststepinanalyzingthe
problem.Theyusuallyknowmorethantheythinktheyknow.

Haveyouseenaproblemlikethisbefore?

Howdidyougetyouranswer?

Aretherealternativesolutionstotheproblem?Ifso,whatarethey?

Canyoufigureoutanotherwaytodothatproblem?

Isthisthemostimportantquestiontoaskwhensolvingtheproblem?

Whatquestionsneedtobeansweredbeforeansweringthisquestion?

Doesyouranswermakesense?Isitreasonable?

Whatwaseasyaboutthatproblem?Whatwasdifficult?

Couldweplaythatgameanotherway?Abetterway?

Listenmorethanyoutalk!Letyourchildstrugglethroughtheproblem
betheirsupportwithoutgivingtheanswers.

WebsitesforCriticalThinkinginMath

FigureThisMathChallengesforFamiliesover80mathrelated
challengestoworkontogether:
http://www.figurethis.org/fc/family_corner.htm
http://www.figurethis.org/challenges/challenge_index.htm

NRICHenrichingmathematicswonderfulsiteforstudentsofallages

forchallengesandproblemsolvingandengaginggames
http://nrich.maths.org/frontpage

CriticalThinkingActivitiesinPatterns,Imagery,andLogic
Downloadablebookwithlogicandpuzzleproblems
http://home.comcast.net/~ekleidon/Extra/Critical%20Thinking.pdf

OPENENDED QUESTIONSFOR MATHEMATICSArsiResource

Collaborative
http://www.uky.edu/OtherOrgs/ARSI/www.uky.edu/pub/arsi/openrespons
equestions/mathorq.pdf

UsingInternetPrimarySourcestoTeachCriticalThinkingSkillsin
MathematicsbyEvanGlazeranexcellentsourceforcriticalthinking
projectsforgrades612.
http://ondisaondi.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/using-internet-primary-sources-toteach-critical-thinking-skills-in-mathematics-greenwood-professional-guides-inschool-librarianship.pdf

HelpyourChildLearnMathbyPatsyF.KanterOnlinebookwithmany
familybasedactivitiesthatincorporatereallifeproblemsolving
activities
http://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/helplearnmaths.pdf

MathPlaygroundThereisalogicpuzzlesectiontothisvastwebsite
whichhasalotofinterestingmathpracticegames.
http://www.mathplayground.com/logicgames.html

TheMathForumthisisapaysite,butitoffersgreatproblemsand
puzzlesforstudentsofallages.
http://mathforum.org/index.html

BedtimeMathAnightlybedtimemathstorypostedoremailedevery
night!http://www.bedtimemath.org

OtherResourcestoSupportCriticalThinking

Ipad/iphoneApps

MathLandsKidsLogicGame&BrainBuilderforMathandCritical
ThinkingByMamanijopuzzlesandproblemsolvingsomefree,with
addonsfor$0.99
WheresmyWater?ByDisney/WheresmyPerry?ByDisney(both
$0.99)
BrainSchoolUltimateBrainTrainer!1.02Free,withoptional
addons
70LogicGamesTimeKillersFreeBrainTeasersPuzzlepackby
AndreaSabbatiniFree
BrainGames2PuzzlesandRiddlesbyBakhramFree,withoptional
addons
Sodokumanyavailableversions,mostarefree
CuttheRopebyChillingoLtd$0.99
MovetheBoxbyOtizitoLLCFree,butwithaddonsfor$0.99or$1.99
UnoLingoFree,withoptionaladdonsfor$0.99
Solitairemanyavailableversions,mostarefree

TelevisionShows

MythBustersDiscoveryChannel
UnchainedReactionDiscoveryChannel
FoodNetworkChallengeFoodNetwork
CupcakeWarsFoodNetwork
DesignStarHGTV

Websites

www.thekidshouldseethis.comKidfriendlyvideosaboutscience,nature,
music,art,andmaththatwillastoundandamazeyouandyourchildren
greatstarterforquestions,conversations,experiments,andexplorationsthat
youcanhaveathome.

www.brainpop.com/gamesfreeonlinegamesformultiplesubjectareas,
mostofwhichinvolvecriticalthinking

Books

TeachYourKidstoThink!SimpleToolsYouCanUseEveryDaybyMaria
ChesleyFisk

GoodQuestionsforMathTeachingWhyAskThemandWhattoAskbyPeter
SullivanandPatLilburn
designedforteachers,butagreatresourceforparents,aswell

ReadWell,ThinkWellBuildYourChildsReading,Comprehension,and
CriticalThinkingSkillsbyHalW.Lanse,Ph.D.

ThinkingGamestoPlaywithYourChildEasyWaystoDevelopCreativeand
CriticalThinkingSkillsbyCherylTuttle,M.Ed.AndPennyPaquette