Critical Thinking

A construct with many definitions, critical thinking is important for the education of gifted students regardless of the content area. Because these students are able to process information at advanced levels at an early age, they need the intellectual stimulation that comes with curriculum that is heavily embedded in critical thinking. Teachers who understand this necessity readily embrace the opportunity to build a rigorous curriculum of thinking skills through challenging and meaningful content. Even in Advanced Placement (AP) classes, the opportunity to examine the breadth of the content that comes through critical examination and questioning must be provided within and in addition to the accelerated pace of the class.

This entry discusses the various definitions of critical thinking, the combination of skills involved in critical thinking, ...