Productive Thinking: Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking,

Problem-Solving, and Logic/Reasoning

Gifted students are identified on their ability to respond to higher levels of thought.
Instruction in productive thinking helps students develop the ability to problem solve and
think critically, creatively, and logically. This sequence of ten strategies works to develop
productive thinking, guiding and instructing students in ways to deepen their
understanding of content by developing and applying the skills of productive thought.
Many of the skills within the strategies overlap and can be generalized as the big ideas of
thinking.
CREATIVE
THINKING
Substitute
Combine
Rearrange
Redesign
Add-to
Adapt
Design
Amend
Minify
Maximize
Brainstorm
Hypothesize
Restate
Modify
Alter
Create
analogies
Reverse
Rename

CRITICAL
THINKING
Define the meaning or
interpret
Judge with criteria
Test assumption
Give supportive evidence
Differentiate fact/fiction
Note ambiguity
Specify the
intent/purpose
Check reliability
Check credibility
Relate conclusions
Verify meaning
Prove
Justify
Make an inference
Criticize

PROBLEM
SOLVING
Define problem
Hypothesize
Collect data
Test hypotheses
Verify solution
Apply solutions

LOGIC/
REASONING
Inductively
reason
Deductively
reason
Relate
Sequence
Conclude
Identify the
pattern
State the rule
Recognize the
structure

Glossary of Creative and Critical Thinking Skills

1. Analogies inference that if two or more things agree with one another in some
aspects, they will probably agree in others.
2. Brainstorming a group problem solving technique that involves the spontaneous
contribution of ideas from all members of a group. Four rules are established prior
to brainstorming: no criticism; quantity not quality of ideas (fluency; wild, zany
ideas; piggybacking, combinations of ideas.
3. Creative problem solving CPS a process, a methods, a system for approaching
a problem in an imaginative way resulting in effective action. There are six steps
This information located at the Gifted Services Web page for Arlington, VA public schools @
http://www.arlington.k12.va.us/instruct/gifted_serv/resources.html

Productive Thinking: Creative Thinking, Critical Thinking,

Problem-Solving, and Logic/Reasoning
to the CPS process: brainstorming; fact finding; problem finding; idea finding;
solution finding; acceptance finding. (Donald Treffinger)
a. Fact finding: supplying the background as to why a situation might be a problem.
This is a data search process.
b. Problem finding: redefining a problem to its broadest perspective. Looking for subproblems which might be aspects or angles not previously seen.
c. Idea finding: looking imaginatively, from various perspectives, for what might be
possible solutions to the given problem; stressing quantify of ideas, building one idea
from another.
d. Solution finding: providing some selected criteria against which promising ideas
may be judged and put into realistic perspective.
e. Acceptance finding: considering why or how an idea might succeed or fail thus
allowing for alteration before actually putting it to use
4. Elaboration to add on to; to embellish up on an idea; to embroider upon a simple
idea or response to make it more elegant; stretching or expanding upon things or
ideas.
5. Fallacy an erroneous idea; incorrectness of reasoning
6. Flexibility to take different approaches; to generate a variety of kinds of ideas;
ability to shift categories; to see things from various points of view
7. Fluency to think of the most; generation of a quantity; flow of thought; number
of relevant resources.
8. Generalization a statement concerned or dealing with universal rather than
particular aspects/ideas.
9. Hyperbole extravagant exaggeration.
10. Inference a conclusion derived from facts or premises.
11. Metaphor a figure of speech in which a word or phrase literally denoting one
kind of object or idea is used in place of another to suggest a likeness between
them.
12. Originality to think of novel or unique ways: unusual responses; clever ideas;
productive away from the obvious.
13. Piggybacking to adapt, combine, or add to an existing ideas(s).
14. Premise a proposition put forth as a basis for argument.
15. Similes a figure of speech comparing to unlike things that is often introduced by
like or as.
16. Stages of creative process
a. preparation: define the problem, gather relevant data, formulate approaches to
the solution
b. incubation: time to let the problem lie
c. illumination: a sudden insight to the solution
d. verification: the proving: stage
17. Syllogism a deductive scheme of a formal argument consisting of a major and
minor premise and a conclusion
18. Synectics a strategy for making the familiar strange; looking at familiar
objects in new perspective from various points of view.
19. Synonyms words that have the same or nearly the same meaning.
This information located at the Gifted Services Web page for Arlington, VA public schools @
http://www.arlington.k12.va.us/instruct/gifted_serv/resources.html