Because language arts processes and related skills depend on thinking processes, teachers should know, use, and guide creative problem-solving processes in their language arts class. Creative problem solving involves a balance of divergent and convergent thought, reflected in the processes of creative and critical thinking. Divergent, or creative,…

To determine whether high creative and low creative children achieved differently when utilizing a divergent method of teaching as opposed to a convergent method of teaching as evidenced by achievement in spelling, a study, conducted for a period of 18 weeks, involved 79 third grade children randomly assigned into four sections. Two pretests were…

The document offers suggestions for developing a Strucure of Intellect (SOI) program for gifted elementary students. An introductory chapter covers the definition of SOI, rationale for using the SOI model with gifted students, purpose of the guide, assessment of intellectual ability, preparation of the SOI prescription, classroom activities based…

This study investigated (1) three kinds of mental operation in children: divergent production, convergent production, and cognitive thinking manifested in 3- to 4-year-olds and compared the results to results of a study of 4- to 5-year-olds, and (2) the relationship between children's abilities and their parents' level of education, children's sex…

Examined social and cognitive play behaviors of preschool children in comparison to tests of convergent and divergent thinking. High levels of nonsocial activity were associated with low scores on the convergent thinking measure. There were negative relationships between nonsocial play and divergent thinking. (GLR)

Arguing that listening is a skill that should be taught systematically in the schools, this paper presents a rationale and strategies for implementing listening instruction in the classroom. The paper first contrasts convergent and divergent thinking, noting that creativity and problem solving are in this latter mode. Next, it examines definitions…

Compiled to illustrate that teachers in New York state--in all curricular areas and at all grade levels--are working to improve students' ability to think logically and creatively, this document outlines programs on thinking skills across the curriculum, from kindergarten through grade 12. The document begins with a chart listing program titles,…

Fourth through sixth grade children were given two kinds of creativity measures--divergent measures in which the child named all the ideas he could that met a simple requirement, and convergent measures, adaptations of Mednick's Remote Associates Test, in which he attempted to find one word which was associatively related to each of three others.…

This 1981 guide is designed to be used with a workbook offering students opportunities to engage in creative problem solving. The book contains four units with 23 lessons. Unit 1 addresses problem solving and contains nine lessons: (1) "New and Different Thinking"; (2) "Open and Closed Problems"; (3) "Stating a Problem"; (4) "Defining a Problem";…

These workbooks provide students with opportunities to research and explore future options based on the realities of today. The workbooks each consist of four research units, a future force section, and a reference section. Students are actively involved in the learning process and in acquiring information. The research units in Book I focus on:…

This book offers ideas and strategies for teaching thinking in schools. Sixteen chapters and a concluding discussion, each preceded by an introductory article, are written by experts recognized in their fields. The chapters include: (1) "Reading and Thinking with History and Science Text" (Isabel L. Beck and Janice A. Dole; (2) "Developing…

A number of studies have reported that there is a strong tendency to ignore base-rate information in favor of individuating information, except when the former can readily be incorporated into a causal schema. In this study, students in eight undergraduate classes were given problems in which the base-rate information was either causal or…

This pamphlet discusses group problem solving in schools. Its point of departure is that teachers go at problems from a number of different directions and that principals need to capitalize on those differences and bring a whole range of skills and perceptions to the problem-solving process. Rather than trying to get everyone to think alike,…

The interdependence of the creative process and the communication process is examined. Artistic creativity, humanistic creativity, and creativity in the psychological laboratory are briefly examined, and Guilford's structure-of-intellect (SI) model is analyzed. Instead of categorizing people according to their general intellectual ability, the SI…

Presents ideas to promote higher-level thinking in general chemistry classrooms/laboratories, focusing on applications of Patricia E. Blosser's taxonomy to enhance students' convergent/divergent/evaluative thinking. Compares Blosser's taxonomy with Bloom and Piagetian taxonomies, suggesting a combined Blosser/Piagetian taxonomy to achieve goals of…