"I especially like the way students get a deeper understanding of the words used and improve their thinking and writing skills." - Teachers' Choice Award Reviewer (regarding Vocabulary Smarts)

"This product provides a challenging yet engaging means to assess necessary, basic word usage skills, and includes important, meaningful writing connections." - Teachers' Choice Award Reviewer

"This product provides a challenging yet engaging means to assess necessary, basic word usage skills, and includes important, meaningful writing connections." - Teachers' Choice Award Reviewer (regarding Complete The Picture Math)

"[The Complete The Picture Math] activities were a great way to practice reading and following directions while reviewing math concepts." - Teachers' Choice Award Reviewer

"I've become a Critical Thinking convert. I tell everyone who asks that if I were starting all over from scratch I'd focus my whole curriculum on materials from The Critical Thinking Co.™. That may sound extreme, but I've seen [students] make phenomenal progress since I de-emphasized rote memorization." - Kathe, Educator, Marshall, MO

"[P]eople often ask me what to order from The Critical Thinking Co.™. I tell them, not even jokingly, that I can't help them. I'd advise them to order everything." - Melanie, Educator, Garland, TX

"The Critical Thinking Co.™ has uniquely captured the method of teaching students not only how to think logically, but to apply logic to the process of learning in every subject area. [M]any companies have begun to jump on the bandwagon and produce materials that use the critical thinking label, but the contents are the same old drill and practice, and our students know the difference right away." - Peggy, Educator, Tucson, AZ

"Your publications help to make significant learning happen for my students, and I have promoted your products in countless speeches and workshops I have given to teachers around the country. You have found ways to engage students in thinking and performance and the interactive approach is one I recommend highly and often." - Jeff, Professor of Education, Tampa, FL

"[This] company offers every imaginable means of teaching critical thinking to every student. I have found no other company that offers such specialized materials and that is so totally committed to such a difficult task in today's society." - Elizabeth, Educator, Richmond, VA

"My students really enjoyed the mental challenge that the problems posed them. The excitement that I saw coming from [their] faces as they worked cooperatively to solve problems was mind-boggling to me." - Leska, Educator, Charleston, WV

"We see great results in Thinking Skills from using your products. Your work has produced positive results and, I believe, higher test scores." - Luine, Educator, Baytown, TX

"I credit you in helping both my [students] and me to learn the thinking skills needed for success." - Michelle, Educator, Broad Run, VA

"The standard curriculums weren't working as well as I had hoped. The students were becoming impatient with all the repetition, but with these books, they've become eager to learn again." - Priscilla, Educator, Walpole, MA

"For 12 years, I've recommended your company to my teacher-training students. Your materials are exceptionally valuable to teachers. The Critical Thinking Co.™ not only produces quality materials, but your fine company is unusually responsive to needs and questions of the individual teacher as well as of the big school districts." - Dr. Leonard Martin, Teacher Education Program, University of Denver

"In my 17 years in the district, I haven't seen anything work the way [the Building Thinking Skills®] program did. The improvement was phenomenal, especially for our at-risk populations and second-language students. - Gayle Polk, Guidance Counselor, East Elem. School, Monroe, NC

"I have been teaching for 38 years. I started using Midwest Publication materials in the 1970's while working with gifted students. The critical thinking materials have provided a constant challenge for my students. The Mind Benders® were one of their favorite activities. I have continued to use your curriculum materials for more than 30 years. I have made it a point of sharing your critical thinking books with other teachers. Thank you for enhancing the minds of youngsters." - Dennis Schuman

"The books are easy to follow and allow kids to jump around... My son's teacher loved it, as well, saying the math concepts are age appropriate for him." - iParenting Media Reviewer

"I purchased Language Smarts, Mathematical Reasoning™, Visual Perceptual Skill Building®, and Dr. Dooriddles. My son is homeschooled in first grade and this is perfect for him. The Critical Thinking Co.™ products are a 'must-have' for any homeschooling family. Your child will be taught essential academic skills beyond rote memorization. Each activity encourages my child to use higher-level thinking and I see this overlap into his everyday problem solving skills. The Critical Thinking Co.™ truly does 'empower the mind!' I will be ordering from this company for years to come! Thank you again!" - Krista Bulger

"When my son is done with his schoolwork, he asks to do 'the fun books,' by which he means Building Thinking Skills®, Mind Benders®, and Red Herrings! What parents doesn't want to hear that?!" - Anne Ling, M.S. Ed.

"What a fun and family friendly way of making your brain grow. As a homeschooled family we're not always home so we keep Red Herring Mysteries in the car and everyone participates. The helpful guide at the beginning explains how to get the children to think in a deductive way rather than just guessing the answer, The answers at the back will surprise you. When the older children think they have the answers they then can ask leading questions until the younger ones get it as well. While it is probably meant for an overhead projector, the quality of the questions are well worth it. Time in the car melts away as the kids learn and laugh." - Joan Schleh, Mt. Vernon, WA

"My child really enjoyed learning math and being able to work on her art skills at the same time. What a great concept, especially with art being cut out of so many schools do to budget cuts." - Teachers' Choice Award Reviewer (regarding Complete The Picture Math)

"I just wanted to let you know how grateful our family is for the resources you offer. Six months ago, our family adopted six children from Liberia, West Africa. The children are war orphans. They range in age from 8 to 16 years. There are many academic milestones that they have missed, although they are able to do much more than I expected. I was able to speak with Tim via customer service. He was so knowledgeable. (Most folks I speak with think Liberia is in Russia!) He was able to dialog with me and gave terrific advice. He recommended some products but was also able to offer practical suggestions on how to fill in the gaps for these children. I cannot tell you how relieved I am to have found real help. I have chased so many rabbit trails that led nowhere. My hope is renewed and my kids are excited! Thanks so much!" - Kaitlyn MacMillan

"This product [Mathematical Reasoning™] incorporates so many skills into one activity that it can be used across the curriculum. Not only are math strategies and skills taught, but it also helps with reading and deciding what is being asked. I love this product!" - Teachers' Choice Award Reviewer

"The most positive characteristic of these books are the higher order thinking skills that the content encourages. As an educator, I can appreciate that the skills involve multi-steps and hands-on manipulation." - iParenting Media Reviewer

"Parents who home school students will find the books extremely helpful when introducing mathematics skills and all NCTM concepts and strands. For the money, the books are excellent buys and worthy supplements to any early childhood student's education." - Maxine Pincott, Oliver Ellsworth School, Windsor, CT, Teaching Children Mathematics (NCTM)

"As a homeschooling mother of five, I wanted to thank you for such wonderful products. We have changed our homeschool curriculum to focus on your Critical Thinking Co.™ products--after spending a small fortune on materials that were watered down and not effective--and couldn't be happier. I wish we had found your products earlier. Our younger children that have used your full curriculum products since preschool are all performing above their age groups and loving the challenge of learning!Language is not my son's strong point, but by using Language Smarts™, he is writing complete sentences, recognizing grammatical errors, and learning Language Arts like never before. Mathematical Reasoning™ presents math in a way that makes it not only simple to learn, but also practical to apply to everyday circumstance --obviously making math more meaningful to him. I cannot brag enough on Building Thinking Skills® and how it starts students out at a young age with organizing thoughts, brainstorming, and categorizing, all of which are crucial as college students and adults but unfortunately these skills tend to be overlooked in other curriculums. Our whole family enjoys the riddles and brain teasers from Thinker Doodles and Dr. DooRiddles that fill our van with giggles and discussion on long trips. Thank you for such wonderful products! Three cheers for exceeding the status quo!!!" - Katherine David, MS

"Our school had a low rate of children qualifying for advanced math. I started using Math Ties with them, and we had over 10 students in one class qualify for 7th grade math as 5th graders! I know that the key was the higher level thinking required in Math Ties." - Cassandra, VA

"I have been using The Critical Thinking Co.™ materials for 17 years. Our 1st son is an honor student at the University, and our 2nd son, a senior in high school, just scored a perfect 800 on the critical reading section of the SAT. He says, 'After all of those Editor in Chief® books, how could I not do well, Mom!' Thanks The Critical Thinking Co.™." - Melissa, OK

"My four-year-old daughter and I began slowly working through [Mathematical Reasoning™] together this fall. I figured we'd do a little here and there to start building some pre-math and math skills before jumping into a real curriculum next year. Well, she fell in love with the book! She would beg to 'do math' everyday, and want to work on it for 30-40 minutes at a time. Her math skills are now blowing me away! After the section about dividing quantities in half, she started talking about halves all the time. And she even figured out what half of 3 was all on her own. She is now in a 1st grade math curriculum and breezing through it at age 4-1/2. [Mathematical Reasoning™] really did what it promised — it built her mind up for future math experiences. Thanks so much for a great product!" - Katie, MO

"Our family loves your Mathematical Reasoning™ series. My son will be completing Level C by the end of this school year. As a former public school teacher and now a home school mom, I have looked at many math curricula and yours is by far the best I have seen and used. I am so glad you are continuing this series and can't wait to see the next book." - Park, TX

"I am a very experienced teacher and cognitive trainer. I own and direct a learning center and I have used the Building Thinking Skills® materials with my students. The success of developing the critical thinking skills is outstanding with these materials. One of my students was in the Special Education program for years; after working with the Building Thinking Skills® books he returned to grade level in seven months. I have worked with various brands of thinking skills materials, but The Critical Thinking Co.™ has the best on the market. I highly recommend these materials." - Claudette, Prescription for Success Learning Center, CO

"I am a certified teacher in math and history. My 13-yr-old niece and her friend homeschool with me, and I was looking for curriculum materials in language arts, since I had accumulated very little in that area. Thanks to a friend, I was introduced to your products, and we now use both the Word Roots series and the Editor in Chief® series. They now look forward to their grammar sessions, instead of dreading the boring drills in their previous books." - Jane, FL

"My sons have benefited tremendously from your products. Calvin (10) is in a gifted program and Jack (14) is in an advanced curriculum . They both score in the high 90th percentiles in all standardized tests. As a mom and a university professor I can't thank The Critical Thinking Co.™ enough." - Marinilka, WA

"When my daughter was 13, I began using the Editor in Chief® Series as part of our homeschool curriculum. She enjoyed the challenge of looking for errors even if at times she became frustrated that she missed a few. Only to go back and look harder until she found them! These skills have helped her be able to express her thoughts well throughout high school and college. She, now 20, was approached by the dean of students at her university and asked if she would be interested in being the senior editor for the school newspaper! She immediately jumped at the chance! This is a paid position complete with an office, a budget, photographers, writers, layouts, printers, etc. She now has truly become an 'Editor in Chief.' Thank you!" - Lisa-Jean, NJ

"My daughter, age 14, has PDD/Autism. Also, she has an accompanying non-verbal learning disorder (this doesn't mean she doesn't talk; it means that she has trouble interpreting body language and other non-verbal information). Something she has always struggled with has been visual problem solving. We have been using The Critical Thinking Co.™ materials since she was small, as they were the only materials that broke down tasks into small enough chunks for her. As she has grown older, we have also been using the software, most recently the new Building Thinking Skills® software. The Mind Benders® software also presented many challenging visual-puzzle activities, and we have used all of the Math and Reading Detective® software to help her fine-tune her critical thinking skills in the content areas. When she was 12, I purchased the Lexia Cross Trainer software. It was hugely expensive, and helpful, but The Critical Thinking Co.™ activities were just as useful and more varied to hold her interest, and much more reasonably priced.The materials haven't 'cured' my daughter, of course, but they have helped her stick with practicing her skills even when it is difficult. She 'asks' to play the second Building Thinking Skills® software nearly every day. Thank you!" - Sandy, MD

"When my two children were 8 and 6, they completed Building Thinking Skills® Level 1 in just a few months. Every day they begged to do 'the thinking book' first, and never wanted to stop after just a couple of pages. Many days they went on and on until I had to make them quit to do something else. My son jumped three grade levels that year in reading comprehension, and my daughter experienced major breakthroughs in her understanding of math concepts. Coincidence? I don't think so! This year we jumped back in to Building Thinking Skills® Level 2. They are now 10 and 8, and the interest level hasn't waned at all. I just love curriculum that the kids can't wait to do and that is obviously so good for their ability to think and process information. Thanks so much for such fun products!" - Cindy, OH

"My daughter is 8, and we had tried several math programs usually stopping in the school year several times to find one that 'clicks.' Some of the programs left her in tears when I would say, 'ok, it's time for math.' She would say they were just too boring. It was the same thing over and over again. After visiting a curriculum fair one year, I had tried a Mind Benders® book because she likes a challenge. She loved it right away. She says each one is different, and it is fun to try and figure them out. So I decided to try Mathematical Reasoning™ Level B. I was not disappointed. She is quite happy with it. They also have different types of math problems, not just the same thing over again. They lay the ground work for higher learning in an easy and fun way. Thanks so much, I am looking forward to trying other products." - Joanne, FL

"Our eleven-year old son has learning disabilities. He struggles to read. He struggles to retain information from day to day. In early January/09, Cat 3 testing rated his reading score as 2.3, his language arts as 2.4, and his math as 3.6. We and he were amazed and totally pleased when his scores in late March were 4.2 for reading, 4.3 for language arts, and 4.9 for math. We wish to thank The Critical Thinking Co.™ for their terrific products which allowed this improvement to happen. These are the products we used: 1. Building Thinking Skills® Primary 2. Building Thinking Skills® Level 1 3. Mind Benders® Book 24. Mind Benders® A1(first half)5. Memory Challenge! Software6. Think Analogies® A1These products have greatly improved our son's academic abilities with only 5-10 minutes per day, per book, and doing two books per day. Next week, our son will be advancing into another new level of readers and will have completed 1/3 of grade 5 math. We will continue to use your products every step of the way. Thanks, The Critical Thinking Co.™" - Valerie, Saskatchewan, Canada

"As a former elementary teacher, and presently a homeschooling mom, I highly recommend Building Thinking Skills®. My daughter is gifted with strong language art skills, but had confidence issues in math matters. I began using Building Thinking Skills® Level 1 in her third grade year as a way to strengthen her critical thinking skills and build her confidence. It only took about 10 minutes of our school day, and she usually completed 2 pages within that time, except when she wanted to keep on working! (You know a product is a success when the students don't want to put it down!) Both her confidence and reasoning skills improved, and along with those, her standardized test score made an amazing leap. As I was choosing curriculum for her fourth grade year, she ASKED to use Level 2. I know I had a big smile on my face as I said 'Of course, you can!' She is now just a few days away from completing Building Thinking Skills® Level 2. We are both very pleased with your products, and are currently poring over your catalogue, enthusiastically choosing more products for next year!" - Amy, TX

"I teach children that have been identified gifted. Your catalog is one of the few that I order from year after year. Wanting to increase vocabulary I decided to purchase Word Roots. It is everything I was searching for and more. It goes beyond 'spelling tests' and teaches students to decipher words based upon prefixes, suffixes, and roots. The focus is on meaning which in turn increases comprehension. My students enjoy watching the buildings appear when they reach 90% mastery. I seldom hear complaints when having to redo activities because of the technology used. This year I had several students so successful that I had to order Level B. I teach fifth grade. Keep up the good work-you are right on target with gifted children." - Cecilia, NC

"I recently purchased the Mathematical Reasoning™ Beginning 1 book for my son who just turned 3 years old. He absolutely loves it! The first day we looked at the book, he completed the first 13 pages and can now recognize when a set has 3 members just by looking at the picture! I love that the instructions are so simple and understandable; it really keeps him engaged. As a math instructor, I am so happy that it looks like I may have a math-brain in my family after all! He asks to do his math schoolwork every day!" - Janelle, LA

"My son hated math. I was using two different popular programs and he didn't like either. It didn't matter if he had manipulatives or a fun, colorful workbook. I saw your curriculum and gave it a try. Wow! What a great fit for my son. He is a child who learns best when analyzing information. Your Mathematical Reasoning™ curriculum gave him a way to learn math that made sense to him. Thank you!" - Amy, Ontario, Canada

"Making the decision to homeschool my son was scary business. Although I had a post graduate degree I'd never taken the first class in education theory. A teacher recommended the Mind Benders® product and I quickly learned about all the other wonderful products offered by The Critical Thinking Co.™. I discovered that I had developed my own educational theories and one most dear to my heart was to encourage my son to think as opposed to memorize temporarily. We have used many of the products for math, reading and language arts, and enjoyed them all, but Mind Benders® remains my son's favorite. 'Please, Mom, can't I do one more?' He asks every time we complete a problem. That truly brings a smile to this homeschool mom's face!! Thank you, thank you to all the writers and illustrators who make these great learning tools that are so much fun." - Elizabeth, TX

"Think-A-Minutes has really allowed me to pinpoint my children's strengths and weaknesses. My second-grade son most often asks for help on pages that contain verbal skills. My fourth-grade daughter most often asks for help on visual/ figural skills. This information has allowed me to fine tune our curriculum. I ask for more math pages to be done of the second-grader and have added the Reading Detective® to stretch his verbal and comprehension skills. I have moved my verbally strong daughter up a level in comprehension and literature analysis as well as slowing down on geometry concepts to allow for more hands on and discussion time. Thank you, Think-a-Minutes for such a valuable and fun diagnostic tool." - Melody

"When my daughter turned 3, we began Mathematical Reasoning™ Beginning... and finished it in less than two months! I was very pleased on how 'advanced' it was towards the end of the book - much better than the workbooks you find at WalMart, for example. She enjoyed the color and pictures and learned a lot of new concepts that really put her at a higher level in math. Now she is starting regular kindergarten math and we already need to skip most of the material since she understood it from her Mathematical Reasoning™ book! I plan on purchasing more math books for next summer!!! Definitely a success for her! Thank you!" - Karin, NY

"I am writing in regards to my student Patrick and his amazing test results with the Reading Detective® B1. Last school year his test scores showed that he had difficulty and scored Low Average in a few particular areas in reading: identify text, locate information, evaluating validity and credibility, and responding to text. His mother found the Reading Detective® and began working with Patrick over the summer. In August, I began working with Patrick and saw how not only he really enjoyed reading the passages, but his skills were growing by leaps and bounds! In September, he did our district MAPs (Measure of Academic Progress) test and every skill he was Low Average on last year he was NOW High Average to High! I cannot be more thrilled with these results! I am recommending the Reading Detective® to all my families who struggle in these areas of reading!" - Aly, KS

"I wanted to let everyone know at The Critical Thinking Co.™ how much your products have helped my four year old daughter. We purchased the Building Thinking Skills® Beginning book back in the spring, and have been working through it. She has learned so much from that book. I'm amazed at how she has caught on and comprehended sequencing, classification, half and whole parts, analogies, and more. I could go on and on about how much I love this book! I think it has placed her ahead for kindergarten next fall. Thank you again for your products. I plan on purchasing more for kindergarten." - Ildephonse, MN

"My mom started me on Building Thinking Skills® when I was about 5. She used the figural book as a special reward for when I'd finished my other homework. During my first year of college at UC Berkeley, we had isometric drawings for an engineering class. Many people found this to be the most difficult part of the course. I had been doing these exercises since kindergarten! I owe my A in that class to The Critical Thinking Co.™!" - Hillary, CA

"I just wanted to let all of you know at The Critical Thinking Co.™ how much your product has helped my 5-year-old daughter. We bought Mathmatical Reasoning™ Level A this summer. We are almost finished with it! Not because it's short and too easy. Far from it!! It is 250 pages of colorful, exciting activities. My daughter loves it! I have to limit the amount of pages she does each day or that is all she would do. She has learned so much! We both get excited when we turn the page just to see what comes next. Thank you for such a great product!" - Wanda & Maleigh, NC

"By using Reading Detective®, my daughter's reading comprehension test scores rose 20 percentile points over 2 years. Amazing! And we only did one book in that time and she has multiple learning disabilities!" - Monique, VA

"Everyone was amazed when my 11-year-old daughter saw a Rubik's Cube for the first time and immediately started working it. She had the first side completed in a flash! Our family thought she was brilliant, but I knew she had been happily developing her mind through Building Thinking Skills® since she was four. She is now finishing Level 2 and has a good head on her shoulders. Thank you for providing such wonderful materials!" - Jatina, OK

"A few weeks ago we introduced Building Thinking Skills® and Mathematical Reasoning™ to our almost three-year-old. He begs to do 'work' like his daddy, and so we finally gave in to some workbooks that would spiral the concepts in a logical order. We do about ten pages each day (he begs for more, though) and already we notice his confidence building with simple counting, line recognition, and problem solving. We are hooked and can't wait to try more books from your company as the pages captivate our son and teach him at the same time, all while he is feeling 'big' and confident in his knowledge. Thank you!" - Katie, MN

"I am a very proud grandma! My six-year-old grandson just loves your Math Detective® Beginning Software. He has even gotten 'in trouble' for sneaking over to 'play' on his computer after bedtime. How can you get mad at that?" - Anne, FL

"I teach 3-6 grade Gifted Math. Coming up with logical thinking for all grade levels is tough, but with the leveled Scratch Your Brain® Series, I can rely on Bell Works as a quick, fun, and challenging way to start each period. Many times, the students take the puzzles home to their parents and work on them together!" - Spencer, AZ

"Recently, we bought the Thinker Doodles Beginning book after having such great success with the Building Thinking Skills® and Mathematical Reasoning® books. Our son, three, has gone from not wanting to color or draw to begging for it each day. In the past, a blank coloring page was too much for him, and he would just sort crayons on top of the page and then call himself done. We were shocked since most kids love to color, and decided to try this book. The moment it arrived he was anxious to try it. We have been working with it daily and not only does he love finishing the pictures, he will actually sit and color the pages now once he completes the drawing! We are so pleased as parents to watch him finally explore his creative side, and take pride in his artwork! Definitely going to continue with this series!" - Katharyn, MN

"Our grade level uses the Dr. DooRiddles books to motivate our students to get ready to start the day. Students must have their backpacks put away, their pencils sharpened, etc. and be in their seats by a certain time in order to submit an answer to the riddle of the day. The responses go into a bucket and the teacher pulls one out-if the answer is correct, the student receives a prize. The teacher continues to pull names out until the correct answer is given. Students who are not seated and ready to start the day cannot participate. This has saved us valuable time because all of the students want a chance to decipher the riddle! As a bonus, we've had many students who have been inspired to write their own riddles for the class to solve" - Karen, TX

"My son is a struggling learner. He has a slight tendency toward dyslexia and he sometimes finds schoolwork frustrating and difficult. We have 2 other children who have grown up with The Critical Thinking Co.™, so we started our youngest on Thinker Doodles. It was his favorite part of the day! We then moved him to Mind Benders®, which helped him to think logically about what he reads. This has also helped him think before he reads words so that he can conquer his reading problems. It takes great concentration to see letters backwards and be able to recognize it and fix it before speaking.Now, we are working on the Building Thinking Skills® series. I have to say, without The Critical Thinking Co.™, my son would be behind on grade level. For many years, I used the Critical Thinking books and software to help my son prep for his standardized testing and for college prep tests. He has amazing grades! But now, I see the benefit of critical thinking for helping my youngest child organize what he sees and process it in his mind. His reading has improved tremendously since we began The Critical Thinking Co.™ products. And the best part of critical thinking is that it is always a favorite part of their school day. It will always be a part of our schedule." - Tammy, LA

"My mom bought our family Memory Challenge! Software a few months ago to play on the computer. Our whole family loves it. It has helped my dad & mom sharpen their memory and also me & my brother. It is fun to do together. We find ourselves laughing & enjoying ourselves, together. It has brought our family hours of enjoyment & helped us with our memory, especially the old folks! Ha!Ha!" - Maleigh, NC

"I have been very pleased to use your Reading Detective® and Math Detective® books in our homeschool this year. My daughter is an accelerated reader, and the Reading Detective® has really helped her learn to adjust her rate of speed, and to read for detail and analysis, as well as enjoyment. The reading selections include wonderful excerpts of children's literature, fiction, and non-fiction. I'm always pleased to hear my daughter giggle as she reads a humorous passage, or her excitement as she shares a newly found nugget of knowledge with me from that day's assignment--two more confirmations of reading comprehension! In regards to the Math Detective®, she has also had great success. The story or charts and graphs are engaging and challenging without being frustrating. The answers to questions and their proofs can be easily located with careful reading and observation. If I needed further "proof" of The Critical Thinking Co.™ product's success, her standardized test scores in both reading comprehension and math problem solving skills each increased by 20+ points this year. (And this only took 20 minutes of our time, two days a week. On alternating weeks we would either do Reading Detective® or Math Detective®.) Once my daughter reaches college and I head back to teach in the classroom, I'll be taking these wonderful resources with me!" - Amy, TX

"My son (10) is on the autism spectrum. He has a brilliant mind for facts and figures, but always struggled with his thought process. Mind Benders® and Building Thinking Skills® have given him solid direction in organizing his thoughts and following logical patterns. The progress my son has made in barely one year is incredible. No therapy or modification has come close to having such an impact in the 6 years since his diagnosis. There are no words to express how thankful we are for The Critical Thinking Co.™" - Carrie, PA

"The other day my son and I were having a discussion and in the middle of it, he pointed out something we have been talking about from our Critical Thinking text. He said, 'Remember what we talked about in Critical Thinking? Two people can have different meanings for the same word.' I love seeing him become a better thinker!" - Amy, AZ

"I have used The Critical Thinking Co.™ materials long before they were Critical Thinking - the company before. I began a system-wide program for the gifted, MERIT, and still use the materials today, as I teach in a school that is a result of my original program back in the l980s. Just ordered Daily Mind Builders™ because achieving value-added scores on standardized tests (Terra Nova) is most difficult with gifted children who score high anyway. I use The Critical Thinking Co.™ materials to reach my highest children as well as my "double exceptional" children - gifted and autistic. They work! And have worked for years and years. Bravo!" - Cynthia, TN

"My five-year-old daughter and I have become superhero 'Math Girls.' We set aside a few minutes several times a week to work on your Mathematical Reasoning™ books. She loves the books and begs me for more "Math Girls!" She calls it our "special time!" She is so proud that she is entering kindergarten in the fall and has completed the entire kindergarten math curriculum. We have just started on the first grade Mathematical Reasoning™ book. She loves mathematics so much because of the fun activities in the books! Thanks!" - Linda, NJ

"As a third grade teacher, I loved the Reading Detective® software. I had 5 computers in my room, and if students made 100 on our practice TAKS test, they were allowed to "play" Reading Detective® while the others had to go over their mistakes on the paper with me. Everyone's goal was to make 100 so they could do Reading Detective®." - Nita, TX

"We tried Word Benders™ in our workbox from our homeschool group recommendation. Oh my gosh....my child loved them. Never seen her have such fun trying to figure them out. I am definitely gonna make this part of our curriculum now." - Renee, TN

"It's been raining ALL day today, but that did not stop us from going outside to drop our shampoo bottles filled with different quantities of sand from a height! (Activity 43 "Falling Bodies-Does Weight Make a Difference" from Developing Critical Thinking Through Science Book 2.) I am SO impressed with this material! I wish I'd had it sooner. Preparation time is minimal and what's required is very reasonable and achievable. The activities invariably lead to more discussion and practical application of the principles demonstrated. It's not just my 15- and 11-year-olds who are learning. I am, too!! I am SO, SO impressed!!!!! We love it!!!" - Jenny, Australia

"We homeschool our children and our oldest daughter (16) is taking dual-credit classes at our local community college. She was in an English class and the teacher asked the class about a meaning of a word and under her breath she was breaking it down like her Word Roots program would have her do. The professor overheard her and asked her what she was saying and she told him she had studied words and she was using the root word to figure out the word. The class was impressed along with the professor. She came home and told us and the other children who made sure to use the program the rest of the semester." - Debbie, IL

"I have purchased numerous amounts of your software down through the years and I have found them to be engaging for the students that I teach. I am a remedial teacher, and the students that I have, had been very successful using some of the following products: Math Detective®, Memory Challenge!,and the Think Analogy™ Puzzles." - Julia, TX

"I home school my two children, ages 7 and 12, and have added Balance Benders™ and Mind Benders® to our curriculum this year. I entered our kitchen the other day, only to find my children in a heated debate, hands waving, pointing, heads shaking. They were working on a Balance Benders™ challenge and were flustered about finding the third correct answer. Finally, after I joyfully watched the scene for a few moments, my son (age 7) said, 'Hey Mom, we found a mistake. This one <pointing> would work, except the square is completely black. It should only be gray and cut in half like the one up here. You should call the company.' So, I did; and they were right. My children had used logic and reasoning, exactly the skills these puzzle challenges develop, to discover the mistake. The best part is, they were confident enough in their decision to question the authority of the book. Can you hear me cheering now?My children love these 'Bender' books; in fact, I would not be exaggerating if I said they were addicted to them. I sincerely thank you for a product that makes what can be extremely difficult skills to master an absolute blast for my children.On a side note, I would like to mention that I am a doctoral candidate in education at Northeastern University, and have recommended these products to peers and colleagues as the best of the best." - Joan, MA

"Just this evening my second-grade son mentioned something was the hardest question ever, and being the typical aggravating older child, my other son said, 'Multiplication is harder; what's 9X4?' I gently said to the younger, 'You don't have to know the answer. Just tell us what 9X4 means.' To which my brilliant mental mathematician shocked us all when he replied, 'Well, what's 40-4?'" - Nicole, NM

"Although my son is quite bright, home school time was a nightmare. He knew how to do what I was asking, but refused to do the work. Then, I switched all of his curriculum to The Critical Thinking Co.™. THIS YEAR IS GREAT!!! He can't wait for school to begin and often wants to do extra work. He loves the challenge that The Critical Thinking Co.™ curriculum provides. He will often let out a huge sigh at the end of our school day and rub his head. Thank you for providing great products for great thinkers!" - Maggie, GA

"Oh, no...not vocabulary again. As a homeschool mom and parent who tries to carefully craft curriculum, vocabulary was not a favorite...UNTIL we found The Critical Thinking Co.'s™ Word Roots workbooks. My son is now looking forward to vocabulary, and even inventing his own words based on roots he has studied. His spelling, also, has been improving because this text breaks down roots, prefixes and suffixes so my son is breaking down words to formulate the correct spelling. We are very happy to have found this product." - Carol, MD

"I have purchased numerous amounts of your software through the years and I have found them to be engaging for the students that I teach. I am a remedial teacher and the students have been very successful using the following products: Math Detective®, Memory Challenge!, and ThinkAnalogy™ Puzzles." - Julia, TX

"My oldest son enjoyed math when he first started school, but soon became frustrated when he couldn't make the connection between the problems on the page and real life. I decided to try Mathematical Reasoning™ Level D because it looked as though it would bridge that gap. Two weeks into it, and my son wants to do more math each day than what I assign him! He is really enjoying working the problems because they now make sense." - Stephanie, TN

"We send our kids to the public school. While the school is great overall, there are some gaps we try to fill at home. Resources from The Critical Thinking Co.™ help us to do this easily, without being a drain to our kids." - Amy, MO

"I am a gifted intervention specialist in a rural public school. About 4 years ago my 7th-grade group read, Nothing But the Truth, by Avi. It is a novel which includes several different points of view. After my first group read it, the discussion did not go well. The students did not try to understand the different points of view of the main characters. The next year, I taught them critical thinking skills using Critical Thinking Book One from The Critical Thinking Co.™. This year, the students were able to have a great discussion as they were able to 'get' the points of view of others. I have continued to use these books." - Barb, OH

"I congratulate The Critical Thinking Co.™ on the superb job you do of preparing children to think in a fun way. Three years ago, my daughter was recommended for advanced placement testing, and my husband and I wanted to do everything possible for her to prepare her for the testing. I called The Critical Thinking Co.™ after doing some research and had an in-depth conversation with you about the materials you would advise us to use in a short amount of time. I found the books to be very helpful, and guided me beyond the in-home instruction I was able to piece together. I am pleased to say that Lauren placed in the advanced program, and has benefited since then from the The Critical Thinking Co.™ materials! Thank you so much." - Leslie, PA

"In January of 2010, I went for a mammogram and came home with not great results. I sat my kids down to tell them the news and what type of cancer I had. Cystosarcoma phyllodes. My daughter blurted out, 'oh, that means it has a leaflike growth structure.' It was so great that she recognized the Greek root from the Word Roots books and that it helped them to understand exactly what was going on. As I went through my procedures, some of my registered nurses hadn't even heard of that type of tumor. Maybe they should use Word Roots as part of their continuing ed. courses." - Shannon, CO

"Using The Critical Thinking Co.™ books since our 7-year-old son was young has enabled him to understand mathematical concepts at an early age. Just 7 years old and he is starting 4th-grade math. Critical thinking skills have given him independence of thought. Thank you!" - Christine, MT

"Thank you The Critical Thinking Co.™. Because of you my daughter scored 98 percentile in the CogAT®. I knew she had potential, but as a first-time mom I didn't know how to challenge her; how to fulfill her needs. The books certainly helped her a lot and gave me a direction for taking appropriate steps. Thank you so much." - SP, TX

"We gave Thinker Doodles to our kids (a 6-year-old girl & a 5-year-old boy) for Christmas. They both love them!! You say it is the SMART Coloring Book. It is that & a whole lot more. It makes them think, but all they know is they are having fun! The books were very affordable & worth every penny. Thank you!" - Wanda, NC

"I use the Mind Benders® and Critical Thinking books a great deal. I used to be a full-time classroom teacher, and then moved into college (adjunct) faculty positions and part-time tutoring. The materials are applicable to all levels and classes--when I start class with a Mind Bender® the students jump right in and are excited about learning. I incorporate the critical thinking skills throughout all the curriculum, and immediately see the students' mathematical reasoning skills improve. It's great to have resources like your company provides, because they augment and supplement the textbook problems--generally, they are more interesting! Thank you for providing the materials!" - Marie, TN

"My 6th-grade homeschooled daughter completed Building Thinking Skills® Level 1 and 2 by the end of her 5th-grade year, so I decided to go ahead and try the Level 3 books her 6th-grade year, despite the suggested age of 7-12th grades. She has been very successful with the challenge, and thanks to consistent practice that these books provide, breezed through her ITBS® and CogAT® tests this month. We use the Level 3 Verbal book daily, one page a day, and the Level 3 Figural book only 3 days a week, one page a day. This schedule isn't overwhelming, and has taken us half-way through each of the books this year, and will allow her to finish them her 7th-grade year. She still looks forward to her 'Thinkers' time every day, and her test scores continue to show measurable improvement on a yearly basis. I have highly recommended this series to other parents, and will continue to do so once I return to teach in the public school classroom!" - Amy, TX

"We use The Critical Thinking Co.™ products as part of our homeschool curriculum. The Mathematical Reasoning™ book has been a wonderful tool. The instructions are easy enough for my kindergartner to read to himself. My son loves math now!" - Elisha, SD

"When my seven year-old daughter emerged from taking the SCAT, I asked her what helped her for the test. Without hesitation she replied: 'Think Analogies®.' Based on her SCAT results, she qualified for the Johns Hopkins CTY with high honors." - Kathleen, NJ

"My daughter was chosen for advanced academics, thanks to the books by The Critical Thinking Co.™. Every fortnight I log on to CriticalThinking.com to find more books for my kids and friends' kids. As a school teacher, critical thinking is a big help in my personal and professional life." - Samrudhi, VI

"We have 'clubs' at our school, and I have made a 'Girls Who Love Science' club. In this club we use the Critical Thinking books, Mind Benders®, and Red Herring Mysteries books. I also use the Red Herrings at the end of the class if we have 5 or 10 extra minutes. The kids love the questions. They try to finish early and remind me to do a Red Herring Mysteries activity." - Melissa, FL

"We have been using Critical Thinking products for three years with our now 7-year-old son. We love the concept of logic and thinking outside the box that critical thinking develops. We bring Mind Benders® and Dr. DooRiddles with us everywhere and enjoy doing them together as a family. I love the Language Smarts™ and Mathematical Reasoning™ curriculum. My son enjoys them very much and can follow the simple instructions with ease. Thanks to critical thinking, my son breezes through and scores high on his standardized and placement tests. Thank you so much for your wonderful material! I always recommend The Critical Thinking Co.™ when I am asked for recommendations." - Brenda, SC

"I am a teacher of the gifted and our primary goal is teaching our students critical thinking techniques. I find your products excellent resources." - Bonnie, GA

"I've used the Building Thinking Skills® sets for 3 of my children (grades 1st, 3rd, 5th) and it has helped immensely in preparing them for our state standardized testing, mandatory for all 3rd graders. My eldest not only passed the exam but received commended ratings. The Word Roots set of books also has helped my 5th grader in her current English class. When asked who had been exposed to Greek & Latin root words, she was ecstatic to be the only one in the class to know what was being introduced in class and has breezed through the subject. Thank you, I plan on using these and other materials for the rest of my children as they progress through school." - Gina, TX

"Brilliant! That is the only word that I could think to use for the mind expanding, creativity building, thinking skills enhancing software! Honestly, I have been homeschooling my two daughters for 5 years and it has taken me this long to find your products!! I am in love with the Editor in Chief®, Word Roots, Math Detective®, and Mind Benders® software. I have spent years trying to get my children to really understand mathematical concepts, this has done it! I can't wait to try Spider Island! Learning to proofread with Editor in Chief®, has made grammar so much easier and entertaining for them! It has been really hard to find good, quality software until now. I thank you for opening my eyes to your curriculum by sending me that first catalog." - Kristy, WA

"We have a 6-year-old boy with both expressive and receptive language disorder. We bought the Hands-On Thinking Skills book as a supplement to his math program. We can't believe what a difference it has made. He had a hard time following directions because he didn't understand in all subjects. Now we can explain it and then show him, as well. He is able to use the manipulatives to follow the directions and now his speech is improving, as well, because he now can see the manipulatives, move them, understands it, and is now verbalizing it. It has carried over and helped him in his current math program. Everyone has been telling us how much more he talks recently. This has only been in 2 months and only 82 pages in. We are excited about finishing the book and buying more." - Jennie, OH

"When my children were 10 and 13, I purchased your Word Roots A1 Software on a whim at a homeschool conference. I intended to use it to strengthen their vocabulary skills throughout the next year. I brought it home and they finished the program in two weeks. I promptly ordered A2 and B1. They finished both of those before the summer was over. My then 10 year old son is now 14, and he announced to me recently that he needed to review the programs. That decision is entirely of his own accord. His younger brother who is now ten requested only two things he really wants. Science Detective® and Math Detective®. We already have Editor in Chief®. My children highly recommend your products based on their own satisfaction." - Barbara, AZ

"My third, fourth, and fifth grade students just love discovering the 'rest of the story' in the Red Herring Mysteries, and I just love how it has taught them to think outside the box. The students now understand that one word can have several meanings. They beg to hear a Red Herring Mystery if we finish a lesson early." - Pamela, GA

"I was struggling with teaching algebra. The Balance Math™ books broke it down into bite size pieces. They finally got it! I like the color and space in the elementary books. I will definitely be buying more." - Twila, Homeschoolbuyersco-op.org Member

"I LOVE The Critical Thinking Co. - I've purchased several items from them in the past, and have NEVER been disappointed.  The materials are always top quality, well written, concise, and easy to use.  I've purchased both software and traditional books for my kids to learn logic, analogies, Latin roots, and critical thinking strategies.  Unlike some websites, the sample pages for TCTCo. always give you a clear example of what you'll get in your purchase, so there's never any doubt about the product you'll be receiving." - Tiff C., Homeschoolbuyersco-op.org Member

"I identified Reading Comprehension as a weakness in my 9 year old son when doing test prep for the Stanfords. I decided to have him work through Reading Detective® RX for a few months leading up to the test. At first he was getting most the questions wrong but after a while he started catching on. I just received his test scores and reading comprehension moved from a weakness to a strength. He scored in the 97th percentile." - Isha Youhas, VA

"I have used the Reading Detective® in my third grade classroom and love the way it is introduced so that my students must go back to text to verify their answer. Kids these days don't want to take the time to go back to text which the state tests require they do." - Debbie McDonald, Indiana

"Our oldest son is starting college this fall on a FULL RIDE academic scholarship! He was home schooled since kindergarten and we heavily used The Critical Thinking Co.™ products since the beginning. He scored in the top 2% in the nation on both the PSAT and SAT. I know it is because of all the critical thinking books we used over the years. Now our second son will be sitting for the PSAT this fall and he is already scoring in the top 1% on his practice tests!" - Sandy, ID

"For over 34 years I have taught gifted and high-achieving children and young adults. When I created MERIT, a program that pulled gifted students for one day a week, I used The Critical Thinking Co.™ materials exclusively. Mind Benders®, Critical Thinking, etc. Today I am retired and use your materials... especially for bright autistic students, and my 'twice exceptional' students. Without a doubt, your company's materials have helped me become one of Tennessee's two National Teachers' Hall of Fame inductees! I owe a lot to your wonderful and unique materials." - Cynthia, TN

"Love these books!! My 6 children have gone from being bored, disinterested students to excited happy learners. It is common for them to ask to do extra lessons instead of wanting to be done as soon as possible. Math is a new favorite subject!" - Sharon, WI

The Critical Thinking Co. carries our favorite critical thinking books.  We love the variety of books they offer which challenge my kids in a variety of ways.  Critical thinking is a favorite subject at our house and my kids look forward to the challenges that are provided in a fun way. I highly recommend them and the Co-op offers them at a good price. - Karri C., Homeschool Buyers Co-op Member

We consider your products to be the best on the market bar none. - Selwyn, New York

I have used critical thinking books with my daughter since she was 3 years old. I like Mathematical Reasoning and Language Smarts books very much because they encourage my child to think. These books are terrific. They are a great way for kids to use math and also think abstractly. My daughter found it fun. These books helped my daughter get accepted into an advanced math class. Thank you so much for creating these amazing books for children. - Maya, CA

"You wouldn't think something so fun could have such a profound effect on your thought process! Mind Benders® sharpen organizational and informational processing skills as well as strengthen reading skills." - Merrilee Defoe, Reviewer

"We didn't know that grammar could actually be fun until we received Editor in Chief®. My son would read a short passage, which also contained a picture and caption, and then he’d correct the passage by using the 'clues' on the right. It’s like detective work, which really appealed to my son." - Leah, Sunny Southwest U.S.

"Word Roots is everything I was searching for and more. It goes beyond spelling tests and teaches students to decipher words based upon prefixes, suffixes, and roots. The focus is on meaning, which in turn increases comprehension." - Cecilia, NC

"We did an experiment to see if Building Thinking Skills® would help students perform better on standardized and state tests. The improvement was remarkable. Test scores went up even after the first few months!" - Joel, Principal, NC

"The fun thing about Mathematical Reasoning™ is that every page is a little different. No rote facts or boredom here! Mix that in with a few game-like activities and lots of colors and pictures, and they had my kiddo hooked." - Michele, Virginia

"U.S. History Detective® is fabulous. You have to do more than just figure out the correct answer -- you have to give the sentence number(s) that best supports your answer. I love that. You have to read the text and support your conclusions." - Debra, CO

"I love the Language Smarts™ curriculum. My son enjoys it very much and can follow the simple instructions with ease. Thanks to The Critical Thinking Co.™, my son scores high on his standardized and placement tests." - Brenda, South Carolina

"Reading Detective® is the best reading comprehension teaching material I have found! I love that your material teaches the student HOW to comprehend, and how to look for the answers in the text. I love your evidence-seeking approach!" - Sarah, MO

"The wealth of game-like activities and colorful illustrations in Fun-Time Phonics!™ make it feel like play rather than work, allowing kids to enjoy themselves while acquiring the skills and confidence that lead to fluency." - Tillywig, Brain Child Award Review

"My children love Balance Benders™; in fact, I would not be exaggerating if I said they were addicted to them. I sincerely thank you for a product that makes what can be extremely difficult skills to master an absolute blast for my children." - Joan, Massachusetts

I've been using your publications since you were Midwest Publications in the 1970s and 1980s. I have used them with both gifted children and in the regular classroom as well. I am retired now but still work with gifted children on a regular basis. I still make use of many of your series and still have Mind Benders (orginally B1-3 and C1-3). They are every bit as wonderful now as they were back then. - Bob Eldridge, Old Tappan NJ

I just want to say, The Critical Thinking Co. is one of the best, highest-quality educational publishers to ever exist. Please do not EVER stop publishing these amazing materials. - Maya Evans, Ohio

I've purchased a number of TCTC products, and I'm highly pleased with each one! They offer creative, engaging materials that get my students thinking in new ways and develop their skills in reading, writing, math, and problem solving. I've spent countless hours in the past creating similar materials for my students, and I'm so thankful to have found The Critical Thinking Co! - Kerri Anderson, Kansas

This is our first year using The Critical Thinking Co. as a full Curriculum for our boys, ages 10, 9 and 6. We are beyond impressed. My boys have never been so happy to do school and it's almost daily they will tell me how much they love their books. They are thriving, loving school, loving all their books, asking for more books to be purchased. This curriculum is so impressive. The way the books are structured helps kids retain the information they are learning, sparks curiosity and its not boring, like some we have used in the past. I will never buy anything else. Thank you for creating a curriculum that kids of any age would find amazing. - Tina Hooker, CO