Download sample pages from Building Thinking Skills 2

Building Thinking Skills provides highly effective verbal and nonverbal reasoning activities to improve students' vocabulary, reading, writing, math, logic, and figural-spatial skills, as well as their visual and auditory processing. This exceptional series provides a solid foundation for academic excellence and success in any assessment. 1374 activities.

Paperback. 408 pages. Reproducible.

Methods

The activities are developmentally sequenced. Each skill (for example, classifying) is presented first in the semi-concrete figural-spatial form and then in the abstract verbal form. Students learn to analyze relationships between objects, between words, and between objects and words as they:

• Observe, recognize, and describe characteristics
• Distinguish similarities and differences
• Identify and complete sequences, classifications, and analogies

These processes help students develop superior thinking and communication skills that lead to deeper content learning in all subjects.

Teaching Support

Activities are modeled to reinforce skills and concepts. An answer guide is now included.

Table of Contents/Skills

Chapter One--Describing Shapes

• Describing Shapes--Select
• Describing Shapes--Explain
• Describing Position--Select
• Describing Position--Explain
• Characteristics of a Shape

Chapter Two--Figural Similarities and Differences

• Matching Figures
• Matching Shapes
• Matching Figures
• Which Shape Does Not Match?
• Which Figure Does Not Match?
• Finding Shapes
• Finding and Tracing Patterns
• Combining Shapes
• Dividing Shapes into Equal Parts--A
• Dividing Shapes into Equal Parts--B
• Paper Folding--Select
• Paper Folding--Supply
• Symmetrical Patterns--Supply
• Axis of Symmetry--Supply
• Covering a Surface
• Which Shape Completes the Square?
• Copying a Figure
• Enlarging Figures
• Reducing Figures
• Comparing Shapes--Explain

Chapter Three--Figural Sequences

• Sequence of Figures--Select
• Sequence of Figures--Supply
• Tumbling--Shading
• Tumbling (Rotating) Figures
• Pattern Folding--Select
• Pattern Folding--Supply
• Stacking Shapes--Select
• Stacking Shapes--Supply
• Stacking Shapes--Explain

Chapter Four--Figural Classifications

• Describing Classes
• Matching Classes by Shape
• Matching Classes by Pattern
• Classifying More than One Way--Matching
• Changing Characteristics--Select
• Changing Characteristics--Supply
• Draw Another
• Classifying by Shape--Sorting
• Classifying by Pattern--Sorting
• Classifying More Than One Way--Sorting
• Overlapping Classes--Intersections
• Overlapping Classes--Matrix
• Deduce the Class

Chapter Five--Figural Analogies

• Figural Analogies--Select
• Figural Analogies--Select a Pair
• Describing Types of Figural Analogies
• Complete the Pair
• Figural Analogies--Complete
• Figural Analogies--Supply
• Figural Analogies--Supply a Pair
• Figural Analogies--Follow the Rule

Chapter Six--Describing Things

• Describing Foods--Select
• Describing Animals--Select
• Describing Vehicles--Select
• Describing Geographic Terms--Select
• Describing Occupations--Select
• Describing Computer Devices--Select
• Identifying Characteristics of Food
• Identifying Characteristics of Animals
• Identifying Characteristics of Vehicles
• Identifying Characteristics of Earth Features
• Describing Food--Explain
• Describing Animals--Explain
• Describing Vehicles--Explain
• Describing Places on Earth--Explain
• Describing Occupations--Explain
• Name the Animal--Supply
• Name the Plant--Supply
• Name the Vehicle/Place--Supply
• Writing Descriptions

Chapter Seven--Verbal Similarities and Differences

• Opposites--Select
• Opposites--Supply
• Similarities--Select
• Similarities--Supply
• How Alike?--Select
• How Alike and How Different?
• Word Web--Select and Supply
• Compare and Contrast--Graphic Organizer

Chapter Eight--Verbal Sequences

• Following Directions--Select
• Following Directions--Supply
• Writing Directions
• Recognizing Direction--A
• Recognizing Direction--B
• Describing Locations
• Describing Directions
• Time Sequence--Select
• Time Sequence--Rank
• Time Sequence--Supply
• Degree of Meaning--Select
• Degree of Meaning--Rank
• Degree of Meaning--Supply
• Transitivity--Comparison
• Common Sequences
• Transitivity--Family Tree
• Your Family Tree
• Deductive Reasoning--Instructions
• Deductive Reasoning
• Following Yes-No Rules--A
• Following Yes-No Rules--B
• Writing Yes-No Rules
• Following Yes-No Rules--Supply
• Completing True-False Tables
• Following If-Then Rules
• Following If-Then Rules--A
• Following If-Then Rules--B
• Graphic Organizer--Cycle Diagram
• Graphic Organizer--Time Line

Chapter Nine--Verbal Classifications

• Parts of a Whole--Select
• Class and Members--Select
• Sequences Containing Classes and Subclasses
• How Are These Words Alike?--Select
• How Are These Nouns Alike?--Explain
• How Are These Verbs Alike?--Explain
• How Are These Adjectives Alike?--Explain
• How Are These Weather Words Alike?--Explain
• Explain the Exception
• Sorting into Classes
• Branching Diagrams
• Diagramming Classes--Three Examples
• Diagramming Classes--Select
• Diagramming Classes--Select and Explain
• Overlapping Classes--Matrix
• Relationships--Explain
• Classifying Shapes with a Bull's Eye Diagram
• Classifying Shapes with a Matrix
• Classifying Shapes with a Branching Diagram
• Classifying Shapes with an Overlapping Classes Diagram

Chapter Ten--Verbal Analogies

• Analogies--Instructions
• Antonym or Synonym Analogies--Select
• Association Analogies--Select
• "Kind of" Analogies--Select
• "Part of" Analogies--Select
• "Used to" Analogies--Select
• Action Analogies--Select
• Antonym or Synonym Analogies--Select
• Association Analogies--Select
• Antonym or Synonym Analogies--Select a Pair
• Association Analogies--Select Two
• Analogies--Explain
• Antonym or Synonym Analogies--Supply
• Association Analogies--Supply
• "Kind of" Analogies--Supply
• "Part of" Analogies--Supply
• "Used to" Analogies--Supply
• Action Analogies--Supply
• Analogies--Supply
• Analogies--Explain and Supply a Pair
• Analogies--Produce

Instruction/Answer Guide

• Answers
• Objective and Materials
• Curriculum Applications
• Teaching Suggestions
• Lesson
• Guided Practice
• Independent Practice
• Thinking about Thinking
• Personal Application