Cognitive development, philosophy and children's literature

The child is born with rudimentary thinking ability and develops this throughout life. However, not all thinking is good thinking, and educators should be aiming to encourage the best thinking possible. I consider the key educational factors in assisting the development of good thinking, based on theories of the social construction of thinking through dialogue. After considering the prevalent approach of teachers to using dialogue to encourage thinking, a model of education for quality thought is developed which springs from this theory. Finally, I introduce the reader to practical books and materials based on this model. © 1995, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.