Raising Critical Thinkers: A Parent’s Guide to Growing Wise Kids in the Digital Age

Bogart, a curriculum developer and homeschooling parent, writes a how-to guide on critical thinking for parents and children in the digital age. The essence of critical thought, Bogart asserts, are the opinions formed by an individual’s experiences, language, memories, and beliefs. She focuses on the assumptions that can thwart one’s rational thinking process and addresses the reasons it’s difficult to step back and objectively challenge preconceived biases. The guide teaches methods for objectively evaluating data, learning investigative skills by making room for dissenting points of view, examining one’s own prejudices and biases, and understanding how bias plays into opinion making. In each chapter, there are activities for practicing wide-eyed wonder as an adult, learning beyond standardized testing, and viewing films, novels, and video games with a critical eye. It also includes questions designed to engage further discussion among adults and children.