ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI), an accredited, child care training online institution, is proud to announce the addition of COG101: Critical Thinking in the Preschool Environment to the online child care training course catalog.

Teachers often hear that children need to learn “critical thinking skills,” but what does that really mean? Critical thinking is the ability to use information and skills in a variety of ways in order to solve problems. The development of critical thinking skills involves a long process, and ultimately the goal is to build high-level skills involving analysis, evaluation, and creation. However, children need to build a strong foundation of skills and knowledge first. CCEI’s Critical Thinking course focuses on Bloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domains and includes relevant classroom activities. Understanding the role of open-ended questions, developmentally appropriate practices, and strategies for incorporating critical thinking into the classroom are also covered within this one-hour online course.

COG101 is available for purchase through online enrollment now. Existing account holders with an active, annual training subscription may enroll in this course, and all other professional development courses, at no charge.

“Critical thinking skills are necessary to perform higher level functions,” said Maria C. Taylor, President and CEO of CCEI. “The increase in technology has allowed us to do many things that short-cut the thinking process, making it even more important to be deliberate about teaching critical thinking skills.”