Middle-school years called optimal time for teaching critical thinking

"The notion that the middle-school years may be the best time to train people in complex reasoning and critical thinking has been borne out in initial studies by researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas's University Center for BrainHealth, writes Robert Miller, a columnist at the Dallas Morning News. 'High-level reasoning and critical thinking are skills that have to be learned and practiced,' says Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman, BrainHealth's chief director. 'If teens do not acquire the ability to learn strategically during this developmental period, they might never do so.' Researchers at the center have created a program called SMART-- Strategic Memory and Reasoning Training -- to teach teens how to think critically. Special benefits are seen for those with attention deficit disorder."