“Frequently, by the time children reach 3rd grade, the sense of wonder with which they entered kindergarten—wonder out of which authentic thinking and thus thinking for oneself develops—has begun to diminish. By 6th grade it has practically disappeared” (459, Developing Minds, Thomas Jackson).
Traditional education models train kids to devalue their own thinking in favor of right answers and a teacher’s instructions. Little children who are used to exploring the world with their hands and wild imaginations are gradually conditioned to save those impulses for “after school” until they give them up all together before they even get to junior high.
And then we wonder why our teens appear to be inflexible, unable to grasp nuances. They’ve been conditioned by tests and homework to know that there is a right answer. They’ve lost their capacity for wonder. Teens who have retained their imaginations and their wide-eyed wonder are often seen as “not serious” about school or as “immature” or “socially inept.”
A Gift
If there were one gift I could give parents, it would be the ability to protect their children’s natural, not-jaded curiosity through the teen years. To:
have a teen boy who is delighted by knitting or a teen girl who wields a power saw,
converse with a teen who is enamored of fantasy novels to the point of writing their own and imagining that it could be published,
know a teen who becomes so tender to the plight of abused animals, that teen chooses to volunteer at a shelter,
raise a teen who plays with LEGO, who climbs trees, who secretly enjoys reruns of the PBS cartoon Arthur.
It’s one of the gifts of home education.
Let’s preserve conditions that promote wonder no matter what ages our children are.
I visited my first Raising Critical Thinkers book club! The energy was electric and the insights were meaningful and profound.
I’m blown away by the number of you who are hosting and participating in book clubs!
Check out the book club guide created just for you for free for that purpose.
Our Brave Writer elves have been hard at work creating a Book Club Party Kit just for grownups!
We know how much you like partying with your kids after they read books with you. It seemed fitting that the adults in the room get to enjoy reading and celebrating too!
Turn your book conversation into a party!
Each book club kit includes:
4 “I Am Raising Critical Thinkers” Mugs
4 Flag Banners of two types
4 Posters of two types
12 Pencils with RCT quotes on them
4 Wooden Bookmarks of two types
4 Kaleidoscopes of two types
Your kit will be shipped to your door in a sturdy cardboard box with a message from me on the inside lid.
If you’ve got more than four members, purchase additional kits.
Quantities limited (fewer than 23 kits available). Hurry, while we still have them.
Offer good only in US. Shipping additional.
Only $99.00 (retail: $159.00). If you’ve got four friends, that’s just 25 bucks a piece!
It’s one thing to have people review your book who are luminaries in the field of thinking and education. And truly—each review has been humbling and inspiring to me.
But then, the reviews start to come from YOU—the friends for whom I wrote this book. And I do think of you that way—as my companions on this journey of parenting, educating and becoming decent human beings.
Here’s what one of the members of our homeschool community wrote about reading my new book:
When an author accomplishes the increasingly difficult task to make you feel, re-examine, make you take self inventory of your approach …on everything. That my friends, is worth mentioning. In Julie Bogart’s newest upcoming release, Raising Critical Thinkers, she provides you with a toolbox of knowledge, perception, activities for the family, and a resource that will be picked up again and again.
When you are able to make a seemingly dull academic subject inspire your ability to digest, teach, and grow…that my friends is what I call, brilliance.
Gulp. That was just what I hoped it would feel like!
Another one:
I love how Julie is able to expertly blend the deep research she has done with personal experiences, and deliver it all in a way that is informative, while also making you feel like you are conversing with a friend. A must read for everyone!
(Erin Donnelly)
Conversing with a friend….yes!
And finally this gem:
Since reading the book, I’ve found myself seriously considering the sources of the perspectives of people I interact with. I really like that! It helps me be more reflective and slower to react to others.
(Lauren Krause)
What a lovely outcome!
Invite Me to Your Book Club
I would love you to join the community of thinkers we’re building—to change the online dynamic, to bring insight and clarity to our conversations. In short, let’s think BETTER and build a better world.
This year, due to the constraints of, well, every single thing, I decided it would be wonderful and cool to celebrate the publication date of RAISING CRITICAL THINKERS with EVERYONE via Zoom.
I’m excited to read to you, to talk about the contents of the book, to share some big news about how I am celebrating the book with you, and more.
DATE: Tuesday, February 1, 2022 TIME: 4:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (+5 GMT) PLACE: Zoom webinar
The first 500 people can attend live when you register here (a replay will be available).
Last time I held a book launch, there was a legit snow storm which meant everyone was late and stressed and cold. This time, you can be in the comfort of your own home, with slippers and hot tea and the glow of a lamp.
New York Times Best-selling author, Adam Grant, wrote a wonderful review: “This is the guide parents need to become thoughtful consumers of information.”
Feel free to pass the registration link along to your friends too!
(I do have an in-person event the following week, so keep reading if you’re local to Cincinnati.)
How can they help their kids differentiate between facts and misinformation, particularly online?
Which interpretations of historical events and documents can be trusted?
How do we know which ideas are dangerous and which are worthy of deeper investigation?
Our culture (and our families) are polarized.
We want to raise curious kids who are also discerning.
I got busy researching the best ideas and practices available today to help your kids deal with the onslaught of unfiltered information that comes at them all day every day.
Those high quality ideas (and thought leaders) and practical activities are in my book!
Can’t wait to get it in your hands!
Early Praise for Raising Critical Thinkers
There is no one I know whose wise counsel I would trust more than Julie Bogart when it comes to teaching our children (and ourselves!) how to think. Critical thinking has never been more important, and Julie arrived just when we needed her. This book is a must for anyone who wants to raise children to be thoughtful, kind, and independent. —Sharon McMahon, of Sharon Says So
Raising Critical Thinkers is a must-read for parents and teachers. It speaks to the deep need for raising and educating children (both at home and in the classroom) to do much more than accept, memorize, and restate. Julie masterfully provides the tools to guide children in growing the ability to think – while also challenging readers to reflect on their own critical thinking skills in the process. It is a gold mine of learning for all. —Susie Allison, of Busy Toddler
You can pre-order now!
It’s a big day around here.
Today, Monday, October 25, 2021, RAISING CRITICAL THINKERS, is now open for pre-ordering!
Huzzah!
Pre-sales help the publisher know how big to make the first print run. With supply chain issues in mind, it helps the publisher A LOT if you pre-order to ensure enough copies are printed ahead of the publication date: February 1, 2022.
When you pre-order,you have the chance for three cool bonuses.
Bonus #1:
If you pre-order by November 15, you will be invited to an exclusive webinar on Thursday November 18 with me called: “Surviving the Holidays with Your Family.”
Have you ever felt stifled or judged by members of your family?
Are you annoyed at the way relatives “pop quiz” your kids to make sure they are “learning the right things”?
Do you wonder how to help your kids respond to intrusive comments?
Would you like to understand better how to facilitate a brisk exchange of ideas that doesn’t tank into bitterness?
Join me for this webinar! It will be a little foretaste of my new book.
Bonuses #2 and #3:
The next two pre-order bonuses will come out on February 1st, the book publication date!
An annotated bibliography of the books Julie used to write Raising Critical Thinkers (will include her handwritten notes and thoughts about each one).
An exclusive recording of Julie and a special guest (to be announced) for pre-sales only. The topic: “The Tricky Part: Writing about Critical Thinking and Paying Attention to Your Own Biases at the Same Time.”
These are exclusive to those who purchase the book during the pre-order period (10/25/21-02/ 01/22).
Book Launch PARTY INVITATION!
If you’re the kind of person who loves to be on the inside track of the newest going concern, I invite you to join the book launch team.
It’s a month-long party in a private Facebook Group hosted by our team member, Natalie, led by me.
The Book Launch Team will have access to:
social media graphics,
a chance to read the book early,
weekly Facebook lives with me,
giveaways!
The goal is to support getting the word out about the book and to provide the reviews on Amazon and Good Reads that it needs to make itself known out in the world!
We had a total blast launching my last book. I can’t wait to get in there with you again. The party starts January 1. You can join any time between now and then.
You can also pop by Instagram and see the cover on the grid and in my stories for the incredible array of blurbs from noteworthy authors.
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