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by Cindy Leave a Comment

Why Logic and Critical Thinking Matter in the Homeschool

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Yes, logic and critical thinking really do matter. A lot, in fact.

We all want children who can stop and think before they act, right? That takes logic and critical thinking. And, I bet at least one of your homeschooling goals is to raise a well-rounded child who can transition into successful adulthood? Well, that adult is going to need a healthy dose of logic and critical thinking ability.

Purposeful training in thinking skills can go such a long way in the now and later moments!

Logical and critical thinking are great skills to be practiced for all kinds of important reasons!

I received free curriculum and compensation from The Critical Thinking Co. for my time spent writing this post. As always, my opinions are strictly my own and from the heart.

What are logic and critical thinking?

Logical thinking and critical thinking are very similar. In logic, a problem or situation is analyzed through pretty straight-forward inductive and/or deductive reasoning in order to form a reasonable conclusion. (Picture a detective looking at evidence.)

Critical thinking tends to be a little more subjective. A conclusion is reached after more than “just the facts” are considered. The inductive and deductive reasoning skills of logic are assessed with an open mind to consider other factors like observations and past experiences. (Picture a detective talking to witnesses and looking at the prior histories of a suspect.)

All of that sounds pretty hifalutin, but it’s really not. In fact, you can begin teaching these thinking skills as early as preschool!

Logical and critical thinking are great skills to be practiced for all kinds of important reasons!

Why do logic and critical thinking skills matter?

We all desire for our children to be able to think and act independently and reasoning skills are one of the keys to that independence. Whether we need our children to make good decisions with friends or simply finish an assignment without our help, arming them with thinking skills makes a huge difference.

The best part, when we offer our children a chance to practice these skills, they eventually become second nature. In other words, our children begin to simply figure things out and act on them clearly without too much serious thought.

I also love that logic and critical thinking naturally promote higher order thinking skills. We should all strive to include more higher order thinking skills into everyday homeschooling. These specific skills take children from a basic level of remembering something to actually working with information by applying it, analyzing it, and creating new things from it. Deep, deep learning happens at these levels.

I love The Critical Thinking Co. for our homeschool thinking skills resources!

Where is my favorite place to find curriculum?

For nearly 15 years now, I’ve used and loved materials from The Critical Thinking Co. They have so many resources targeted specifically toward logical thinking and critical thinking for all ages.

You can find curriculum for children as young as preschool all the way through high school! I particularly love their general logic and critical thinking materials, but you can even target certain subjects like math, language arts, science, social studies, and test prep skills.

We tend to include logic and critical thinking materials in our morning time rotation at least a couple of times a week. We’ve also been known to set regular math lessons aside for the day and just have fun with various types of puzzles and mysteries. I’ve even taught co-op classes using these resources and we often begin each of our STEM classes with at least one puzzle!

I love The Critical Thinking Co. for our homeschool thinking skills resources!

Don’t miss this!

To get you started on your logical adventure, The Critical Thinking Co. is going to bless your socks off with freebies and an AMAZING coupon deal! First the coupon…

Use the code WESTWARD2 to get 25% off your entire order PLUS free shipping. YES, you get both the discount AND free shipping through 12/31/20!!! Click here to get to The Critical Thinking Co. shop.

Just to reiterate:
FREE SHIPPING + 25% OFF ANY ORDER!
Expires 12/31/20

Code: WESTWARD2

Now for the freebie. Get a sampler of puzzles and other activities from 30 different curricula that The Critical Thinking Co. has to offer! It’s free in exchange for your email You’ll see that the image below says K-5, but really the download includes puzzles for K-12!

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Last Updated: October 25, 2020 Filed Under: Brain Training, Creative Homeschooling, Elementary, Gifted & Struggling Learners, High School, Living Math, Middle School Tagged With: brain training activities, critical thinking, logic

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Happy birthday to my favorite girl in the world! L Happy birthday to my favorite girl in the world! Love you, @mahaylawest_1! 🥰
The breath of God produces ice,⠀ and the broad The breath of God produces ice,⠀
and the broad waters become frozen.⠀
He loads the clouds with moisture;⠀
he scatters his lightning through them.⠀
At his direction they swirl around⠀
over the face of the whole earth⠀
to do whatever he commands them.⠀
He brings the clouds to punish people,⠀
or to water his earth and show his love.⠀
Listen to this, Job;⠀
stop and consider God’s wonders. ⠀
⠀
Job 37:10-14⠀
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Winter isn’t my favorite season, but an icy landscape is truly incredible to see. ❄️⠀
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Click the link in my bio for science curriculum to help you take advantage of snow and ice. ⠀
⠀
#winterhomeschool #naturestudy #naturexplorers #winternature #snowandice #naturephotography #charlottemasonnaturestudy #charlottemasonirl #wildandfreehomeschool #homeschoolscience ⠀
When my boys were little, I loved reading these “letters from God” to them as blessings to start the day.
As I was sorting bookshelves earlier this month, I stumbled across this sweet book again. I decided the blessings are still as pertinent today for my bigger boy as they were years ago. So, we’re starting our day yet again with a quick, but powerful “letter from God” before jumping into our daily Bible studies.
Do you do anything special to start your day off on the right foot? I’d love to hear about it!
Click the link in my bio for a link to the book.
#homeschoolblessings #homeschoolfamily #homeschoolmom #homeschool #homeschooling #yourmorningbasket #startthedayoffright #charlottemasonmama #loveyourkids #wildandfreemama #childrensbook #devotionalforkids #homeschool365 #homeschoolmorning #ourjourneywestward #ihsnet
Winter homeschooling can be tough in normal years. Winter homeschooling can be tough in normal years. It’s cold, the days are dark, and everyone’s cooped up together 24/7. That’s a recipe for the winter blahs to march right into your house and wreak havoc on attitudes and motivation.⠀
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This year’s winter is unlike any other and those blahs may have actually settled in long before now. If you or your children are feeling down, anxious, or bored with school, are “at” each other constantly, bouncing off the walls, or tears and fighting are the norm…the blahs are there.⠀
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Let’s get you, your children, and your homeschool back on track. I’ll be teaching a Homeschool Masterclass on Thursday afternoon to help you kick the blahs to the curb. If you can attend live, come! If you can’t attend live, catch the replay!⠀
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Click the link in my bio to join me. There is no shame in admitting that the blahs have arrived and you need a little boost from a friend. ❤️ ⠀
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When the world seems to be falling apart around you, the sun never stops shining. The seasons never stop moving. Without a single, solitary effort of human hands, the woodlands still buzz with life.⠀
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A student of nature can see the consistency in cycles and notice the incredible and creative intricacy of even the smallest specimen and be in awe that we truly serve a God who isn’t unaware of even one tiny detail in our world right now. ⠀
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Life kind of seems overwhelming, though, I know. Remember when I said my motto lately has been to just put one foot in front of the other to do the next right thing? Nature walks (even when it’s cold) never fail me as a right thing. ⠀
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Breathe, friend. Take a nature walk today and let God speak to your soul.⠀
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#homeschool #homeschooling #homeschoolmom #homeschoolfamily #wildandfreemom #charlottemasonirl #winterhomeschool #homeschoollookslikethis #thisishomeschool #winternaturestudy #nosweatnaturestudy #homeschool365 #ihsnet #naturestudy #naturexplorers #nature #hewins
It might seem trite to post a winter picture book It might seem trite to post a winter picture book list right now, but I’m a big believer in keeping things as normal as possible in my home when things aren’t so normal otherwise.⠀
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Click the link in my bio to find a blog post about these books + some of our favorite winter chapter books, too!⠀
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#homeschool #readmorebooks #livingbooks #livingliterature #picturebooks #winterpicturebooks #homeschoolmom #wildandfreefamily #charlottemasonirl #winterhomeschool #homeschoollookslikethis #thisishomeschool #winternaturestudy #nosweatnaturestudy #homeschool365 #ihsnet
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I love being auntie to a sweet baby again! 😍 I love being auntie to a sweet baby again! 😍

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