Grade(s): 2-3
Activities: 1072
Pages: 370
Series: Building Thinking Skills
Building Thinking Skills® provides highly effective verbal and nonverbal reasoning activities to improve vocabulary, reading, writing, math, logic, and figural-spatial skills, as well as visual and auditory processing. This exceptional skill set provides a solid foundation for academic excellence and success on any assessment test.
The activities are sequenced developmentally. Each skill (for example, classifying) is presented first in the semi-concrete figural-spatial form and then in the abstract verbal form. Children learn to analyze relationships between objects, between words, and between objects and words as they: observe, recognize, and describe characteristics; distinguish similarities and differences; and identify and complete sequences, classifications, and analogies. Also available in software - a game like presentation of the same exercises.
Table of Contents
Chapter One--Describing Shapes
Describing Shapes--Select
Describing Shapes--Explain
Following Directions
Writing Directions
Describing Position--A
Describing Position--B
Characteristics of a Shape
Chapter Two--Figural Similarities and Differences
Matching Shapes
Which Shape Does Not Match?
Matching Shapes That Have Been Turned
Finding Shapes
Combining Interlocking Cubes
Combining Shapes
Finding and Tracing Patterns
Dividing Shapes into Equal Parts--A
Dividing Shapes into Equal Parts--B
Dividing Shapes into Equal Parts--C
Which Shape Completes the Square?
Which Shapes Make Squares?
Copying a Figure
Drawing Identical Shapes
Comparing Shapes--Select
Comparing Shapes--Explain
Chapter Three-Figural Sequences
Copying a Pattern
Which Color Comes Next?--Select
Which Shape Comes Next?--Select
Tumbling--Coloring
Tumbling--Shading
Tumbling--Drawing
Which Figure Comes Next?--Select (Flips)
Which Figure Comes Next?--Select (Changes in Detail)
Which Figure Comes Next?--Draw It!
Describe a Sequence
A Sequence of Polygons
A Sequence of Angles
Paper Folding--Select
Paper Folding--Draw
Chapter Four--Figural Classifications
Match a Shape to a Group
Match a Pattern to a Group
Select a Shape that Belongs to a Group
Describing Classes
Matching Classes by Shape
Matching Classes by Pattern
Classifying by Shape--Find the Exception
Classifying by Pattern--Find the Exception
Classifying More than One Way
Classifying by Color--Sorting
Classifying by Shape--Sorting
Complete the Class
Form a Class
Draw Another
Classifying by Shape--Sorting
Classifying by Color--Sorting
Classifying by Size--Sorting
Overlapping Classes--Intersection
Overlapping Classes--Matrix
Writing Descriptions of Classes
Chapter Five--Figural Analogies
Analogies with Shapes
Building Analogies with Blocks
Analogies with Shapes--Select
Kinds of Analogies
Analogies with Shapes--Complete
Chapter Six--Describing Things
Describing Foods--Select
Describing Animals--Select
Describing Vehicles--Select
Describing Places--Select
Describing Occupations--Select
Describing Foods--Explain
Describing Places--Explain
Describing Places on Earth--Explain
Describing Animals--Explain
Describing Occupations--Explain
Describing Words--Select
Name the Animal--Supply
Name the Plant--Supply
Name the Vehicle/Place--Supply
Name the Occupation--Supply
Identifying Characteristics
Chapter Seven--Verbal Similarities and Differences
Opposites--Select
Opposites--Supply
Similarities--Select
Similarities--Supply
How Alike?--Select
How Alike and How Different?
Compare and Contrast--Graphic Organizer
Comparing Living and Nonliving Things
Chapter Eight--Verbal Sequences
Following Yes-No Rules--A
Writing Yes-No Rules
Following Yes-No Rules--B
Completing True-False Tables
Finding Locations on Maps
Describing Locations--A
Describing Directions--A
Describing Locations--B
Describing Directions--B
Select the Word that Continues the Sequence
Ranking
Supply a Word that Continues a Sequence
Warm-up Deductive Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning
Ranking Time Measures
Ranking Length Measures
Ranking in Geography
Flowchart--Example
Flowchart--Arithmetic
Chapter Nine--Verbal Classifications
Parts of a Whole--Select
Parts of a Whole--Graphic Organizer
Class and Members--Select
What Is True of Both Words?--Select
How Are These Words Alike?--Select
How Are These Words Alike?--Explain
Explain the Exception
Picture Dictionary--Sorting into Classes
Word Classes--Select
Picture Dictionary--Sorting by Class and Size
Recognizing Classes--Graphic Organizer
Chapter Ten--Verbal Analogies
Analogies
Picture Analogies--Select
Picture Analogies--Name the Relationship
Analogies--Select
Analogies--Supply
Analogies--Select the Right Pair
Instruction/Answer Guide
Answers
Objective and Materials
Curriculum Applications
Teaching Suggestions
Lesson
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Thinking about Thinking
Personal Application
Reviews:
"I have twins who have always done above-average work but have never tested anywhere near the top. We did an intensive study of Building Thinking Skills® in the weeks before they tested. To my surprise, their scores were in the 98th and 99th percentile across the board. I failed to give them practice the next time around and their scores went down. Now they're back at the top again and I know that Building Thinking Skills was what helped them." -Sharon, Forestville, MD
"If you're a parent who doesn't have this book, you need to get it. My daughters love to do Building Thinking Skills®, even my daughter who doesn't like to think. She took the Stanford Achievement Test recently and made a nearly perfect score on the thinking section, which was a great improvement." -Elizabeth, Montgomery, AL
"My son went from 26 % to 85% on the nonverbal section of the CoGAT after using Building Thinking Skills® Book 1. We are definitely doing Book 2 next. His teacher was amazed. It made her think about the teaching of thinking skills to her students before they were tested and labeled. Thanks for all your help in choosing the right things for my son. It is such a relief to know he doesn't have problems, he just needed to be taught the skills. We really think highly of your products and company." -Virginia Kime, Port Townsend, WA
"As I was working on the activities with my children, I really had only one question: 'Where was Building Thinking Skills® when we were kids?'" -Elizabeth, Springfield, MO
"Don't miss out on these books. Each book has...a wide variety of fun and educational activities than can significantly improve a child's ability to think about problems rather than just mechanically apply a few memorized techniques. Because they contain such a large number of verbal and figural exercises, these books are a bargain. If you purchase just one supplementary book this year, this is the one to get." -Peggy Zorn, Harvest Home Educators Newsletter
"Prepares students minds for logic." -Nathaniel, Muscatine, IA
"Building Thinking Skills® has improved our son's test-taking skills and made him a more logical thinker, which helps him learn more effectively in all subject areas. These are wonderfully effective books and I highly recommend them." -Epinions.com
"Because of my children's success, I am frequently asked to recommend teaching material. The one series I recommend is the Building Thinking Skills®. My children have had great success expanding their critical thinking abilities because of them. I have spent a lot of time reviewing teaching material, and I can honestly say that you offer a superior product." -Wendy, Lancaster, CA
"My daughter started with your Building Thinking Skills® and some of your other products when she was in the eighth grade. Now she`s a college senior in honors classes and I`m so glad I got her started with you as early as I did. She`s maintained her scholarship and her standing in a very competitive program." -Jane, Royal Palm Beach, FL
"Transfer potential is high.…The amount of reinforcement is outstanding." -Reading Teacher
"We have been using Building Thinking Skills® for years and have found them invaluable in providing students with the mental tools they need to be enthusiastic learners." -Katherine, Ratanakiri, Cambodia
Dear The Critical Thinking Company: We decided to do a limited experiment with students in our school to see if Building Thinking Skills would help them perform better on standardized and state tests. Last year I began to work directly with some of our students after school. The improvement was remarkable. Test scores went up even after the first few months we used the program. I'm totally sold on the program and will be ordering it for my school. I'd like to see Building Thinking Skills for every child in every classroom to begin each day. Sincerely, Joel James, Principal - Marshville Elementary School, Marshville, NC
Dear The Critical Thinking Company: Last year I took the responsibility of using Building Thinking Skills with a number of our students as an experiment. In my 17 years in the district, I haven't seen anything work the way this program did. The improvement was phenomenal, especially for our at-risk populations and second-language students. It pulled them up in one year as I could not have imagined possible. We love it and are ordering it for our primary students and, in time, for the entire school. Sincerely, Gayle Polk, Guidance Counselor - East Elementary School, Monroe, LA
"Looking for a way to help students exercise their mental muscles, organize their thinking, or increase their test scores? Check out Building Thinking Skills®! You'll find the boost you're looking for." -Reviewer, via the Internet
"[A]n easy, inexpensive, and effective tool for teaching critical thinking skills within the lower elementary curriculum....[It adheres] to Piaget's basic theory...that the most powerful learning occurs when students move from the concrete (manipulative) stage to the semi-concrete (paper-and-pencil) stage to the abstract (verbal) stage." -Arithmetic Teacher
"My third-grade daughter's spatial skills were not well developed. She used to go ballistic when she had to mentally form a three-dimensional object from a two-dimensional image. After doing the Building Thinking Skills® Book 1, she says it's a breeze. Her nonverbal scores used to be low. Now they're higher than her verbal, which were already high. Her creativity and problem solving have also blossomed since she started using your materials." -Deborah, Cupertino, CA
"As parents, we agree that the ability to actually reason (rather than merely form opinions) and to discern is the most important intellectual quality. To help master this skill, we used books 1 and 2 from the Building Thinking Skills®....We are all very pleased with them." -Mary & Michael Leppert, Homeschooling Almanac
"I have used Building Thinking Skills® Books 1 and 2 for the past three years. My oldest daughter...scored at 91% and 92% on the National Percentile Rank for 3rd and 4th grade consecutively. Her scores on using information climbed from 78% to 95% between 3rd and 4th grade as well, which I'm sure is from using Book 2." -Wendy, Elko, NV
"The ability to think clearly and to reason are equally as important as the ability to read or to write....[W]e have found the Building Thinking Skills® books to be the best of the various critical thinking products available." -Ellen, Crossville, TN
"I have two children with dyslexia who have both done fine academically, and we owe a good part of that success to the work they've put in throughout the years with Building Thinking Skills®." -Paula Scholtz, Braintree Education Center, TX
"My daughter is very bright and has a neurological learning disability. Her performance IQ may often be considerably below her potential or verbal IQ. Building Thinking Skills'® perfectly sequenced cognitive exercises are exactly what she needs to help build the neural pathways around the 'white-matter damage,' literally bypassing her disabilities so that she can perform up to her actual IQ. The series has helped both of us to take the frustration out of learning." -Dr. Heather Henderson, Eugene, OR
"The [Building Thinking Skills®] verbal and figural skills books have been invaluable.…The lesson plans and activities ordered according to difficulty made it possible for our instructors to link an assessment to a prescribed curriculum tailored for each student. Students don't get bored or discouraged when they are presented work which matches their ability level." -Stacey Hunter Schwartz, Ph.D., Assoc. Dean
"The Building Thinking Skills® series is probably the most basic, comprehensive resource for thinking skills at all levels." -Cathy Duffy, Christian Home Educators' Manual
"The #1 selling thinking skills program in the world and I can see why! These authors have written one of the most effective books for teaching/learning thinking skills." -Merrilee Defoe, Reviewer
"Probably the best purchase I made this year. My kids loved it and got a lot out of it. Helps raise test scores!" -Parent, via the Internet
"My 14 year old daughter has extreme learning challenges. A year and a half ago she took an I.Q. test. The results came back that she was "uneducable." I didn't accept that evaluation. I've now taken her through the Building Thinking Skills and Mathematical Reasoning books all the way up through Level 2. In the last year her I.Q. went up 32 points, and now she's working at a low sixth grade level. Of all the products I've used with her over the years, I saw the most progress using your Critical Thinking materials." -Maxine, Winkler, Manitoba
"We did a limited experiment to see if Building Thinking Skills® would help students perform better on standardized and state tests. The improvement was remarkable. Test scores went up even after the first few months. I'm totally sold on the program." -Joel, Principal, Marshville, NC
"This series challenges students to solve a variety of fun and educational activities that can significantly improve their ability to think about problems rather than just mechanically apply a few memorized techniques." -Peggy Zorn, Reviewer
"Looking for a way to help students exercise their mental muscles, organize their thinking, or increase their test scores? Check out Building Thinking Skills®! You'll find the boost you're looking for!" -Diane Wheeler, Reviewer
"I love this book!! Sylvan Leaning Center uses it. That should be enough of a testimony right there." -Parent, via the Internet
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Good "curriculum" for building thinking skills 
