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A NOTE FROM THE PRINCIPAL:
Help Parents Promote Critical Thinking in Their Children
Parents are the primary source of the views children hold toward school,
the world, and life. They can maximize their influence in a positive way
by heeding children's curiosity and developmental phases.
The following activities for parents and families can help stimulate
the development of critical thinking in children:
Engage children in conversations about their curiosities.
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Praise and reward children for being inquisitive and creative.
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Ask questions about what children are doing in school, topics they are
studying, and projects they are working on.
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Actively listen to what children say.
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Encourage children to predict what will happen next in books, television
programs, and real life.
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Use daily activities to promote learning, such as helping children to estimate
the time and distance of a trip, to figure costs when shopping, or to plan
a family event.
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These suggestions can be shared with parents in newsletters, on cable television,
in parenting brochures, or in parenting workshops. It is never too early
to help parents help their children develop critical thinking skills.
What Students Know About the Past
Students know more about history now than they did in the past, a new
study has found. The 2006 National Assessment of Educational Progress U.S.
History Assessment (from "The Nation's Report Card") evaluates students'
understanding of the development of America's democratic institutions and
ideals. Twelfth, eighth, and fourth graders were assessed. Here are some
of the findings:
Fourth Graders
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66 percent understood the symbolism of the Statue of Liberty
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35 percent explained how two inventions changed life in the United States
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24 percent explained why people settled on the western frontier
Eighth Graders
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64 percent identified an impact of the cotton gin
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43 percent explained the goals of Martin Luther King, Jr.
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1 percent explained how the fall of the Berlin Wall affected foreign policy
Twelfth Graders
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67 percent identified important Great Society ideas
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36 percent identified immigration patterns and explained the causes
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14 percent explained a reason for involvement in the Korean War
Mr. McKay, Principal |
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