Thinking is central to any learning activity and the teachers more than other professionals recognize the need of developing thinking skills among young learners. They are firm believers in dictum, “Children think and can be taught to think better”. Through practice and constant stimulation they learn to reason, imagine and deliberate, thus conceive an idea or an inference.

Thinking skills can be classified into: basic-thinking skills and higher order thinking skills. Basic thinking skills are considered low-level and are developed among children in the lower elementary grades, they are capable of observing things in the environment through a keen use of the five senses. They can distinguish, differentiate and describe many things around them.

As children grow older, they accumulate rich experiences. They learn to form their own ideas by inferring, sorting out information gathered and arriving at their own conclusions. These skills enable them to develop HOTS such as solving simple daily problems and reflecting on experiences gained to arrive at a decision.

By: NANCY A. SABADO T-111, Jose C. Payumo Jr. Memorial High School Naparing, Dinalupihan, Bataan