Describes characteristics of successful problem solvers and reports programs at all educational levels designed to help students improve their skills. (Author/MLF)

Describes a cognitive-skills approach to teaching physics, Spanish, and philosophy. The approach relies on students verbalizing their thinking as they solve problems. (IRT)

This book is directed toward increasing students' ability to analyze problems and comprehend what they read and hear. It outlines and illustrates the methods that good problem solvers use in attacking complex ideas, and provides practice in applying these methods to a variety of questions involving comprehension and reasoning. Chapter I includes a…

A thinking aloud pair problem solving (TAPPS) procedure--two students work cooperatively on a collection of short problems--is outlined, and reading comprehension exercises and sample student thought process protocols are presented. (Author/MLW)

Examines why analytical thinking should be a major focus of teaching in the reading and writing classroom. (HOD)

This report discusses the cognitive-skills approach to teaching. This approach makes explicit the mental activities engaged in by successful thinkers as they solve problems and master ideas, and it attempts to teach these "high aptitude" thinking activities to "low-aptitude" students. The report begins by illustrating and contrasting high- and…

Research has revealed distinct differences in the problem-solving approaches of high- and low-aptitude students. As a consequence, content area teachers can focus on thinking skills by having students describe their mental processes and giving them feedback on erroneous or incomplete reasoning. (TE)

Describes a summer program for prefreshman science students entering Xavier University, designed to develop their problem-solving and academic abilities by emphasizing the connection between reading comprehension and analytical skills. (MKM)