Researchers in this field describe eight main ingredients in the teaching of critical thinking:
  • Open-mindedness - It encourages to explore options and alternatives before they draw any conclusions. It doesn't matter whether it is history, health care or interpreting a facial statement of a friend, we should explore how others interpret and critique it before we act on our impression.
  • Intellectual curiosity – It encourages to wonder about things around them, probe further, ask questions, look for inconsistencies, and conduct research on things of interest to them. It must be prompted, guided and praised, and it must be done often.
  • Understanding –It helps you to learn how to draw inferences, to identify broader concepts. It enables you to understand the conceptual bases of rules, whether they are math or morals (e.g. when/why is lying bad?)
  • Planning/strategy - Since most jobs in the twenty-first century will involve being part of a team, it will be more important than ever to learn how to organize and strategize. People can practice by developing strategies for beating the other soccer team, organizing a skit, preparing a debate, each involving a problem to solve, utilization of available resources, strategies for problem solving.
  • Intellectual carefulness - Our kids are not as a rule very thorough, careful, concerned for accuracy. We need to teach them to check their facts, edit their own work, and be precise in their statements.
  • Evaluation of reasons - People should always be challenged to give reasons for what they say and believe. Nothing should be accepted at face value. They should learn to look for evidence, logic, and logical implications, for all intellectual activities.
  • Evaluation of consequences - Children should be encouraged to consider several different options and the potential consequences of each. If A, then what will happen..; if B, what will happen. This leads to some depth of thinking, as well as excellent decision-making skills. Researchers give examples of tasks/problems - "Should we rely on fossil fuel, solar, hydroelectric, nuclear, or wind power as our main source of energy?"; "If you were Harry Truman, would you drop the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima to end World War II?"
  • Metacognitive analysis - This refers to self-analysis. Kids should be encouraged to reflect on their own style, ask themselves whether they're in a rut, whether there are other ways to deal with a problem. They need at times to think about how they think...

These components of critical thinking are like muscles - they need to be practiced and nourished regularly in order to grow and flourish. They should become part of daily life, not something you do now and then. If they are not nourished regularly, they will fade and disappear...