Now enrolling for Term 1

To discuss your interest in the course and to learn about the enrollment process please email on
thinkingskillscourse [at] gmail [dot] com  or fill in contact form below

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Try out the course with a trial lesson for only $50.

Critical and lateral thinking skills (or thinking skills) are required for assessing the arguments and understanding the problems that we encounter in virtually every aspect of our lives.  They also are crucial for developing our own arguments and solutions.

Critical thinking is the practice of careful thinking about arguments, problems and solutions.  Lateral thinking is a creative approach to problem solving using different and original ways of thinking about problems.

The aim of the course is to enable students to master thinking skills and their practical application.

The method used to deliver the curriculum is direct instruction of critical and lateral thinking.  Explicit instruction is advantageous because it allows isolation of the thinking skills for targeted development of them.  In the USA the prevailing approach to teaching thinking skills in schools, colleges and universities is indirect instruction, in which thinking skills are meant to be developed without explicit instruction of them, in the course of studying a different subject.

Instruction in the course is provided in an intimate learning environment called a tutorial or a supervision.  The tutorial/supervision system is widely regarded as the best system of education in the world.  In the system students are placed into classes of up to 3 students that meet weekly throughout a term.  The small class size ensures students progress through the curriculum with close attention from a skilled tutor.

Students from virtually any geographical location can enroll in the course because class meetings are held online.  The online medium is ideal for teaching of thinking skills because it provides a good forum for small group discussion and enables seamless integration of technologies that enhance the learning experience.

Mastery of the thinking skills taught in the course is essential and excellent preparation for a wide range of endeavors such as

• education

  • middle school, high school, college, graduate school, professional school, etc

  • any subject involving critical and lateral thinking (eg history, politics, economics, literature, psychology, science, etc)

• school admission tests

  • SAT, ACT, LSAT, GMAT, MCAT and virtually any other exam that tests thinking skills

• highly selective college, graduate school and professional school admissions

  • admission applications, essays and interviews

• career

  • lawyer, doctor, architect, engineer, politician, professor, researcher, analyst, investment banker, manager, business management consultant, software engineer and virtually any other career field that requires thinking skills

• life at large

  • applying and interviewing for a job, creating a business plan, creating an elevator pitch, developing healthy interpersonal relationships, making good decisions, etc

Tutorial/Supervision

Students are grouped into classes of up to 3 in size.  The classes meet in Tutorials/Supervisions held weekly throughout a term.

Terms

Students in the course progress through 6 terms.

Terms 1 to 4

Terms 1 to 4 run for 10 weeks each.  Each of terms 1 to 4 includes instruction on fundamentals of critical and lateral thinking as well as analysis, development and defense of arguments.  During each term emphasis is placed on mastery of one of the individual areas of competence, in the order listed below:

Term 1

• Fundamentals of critical and lateral thinking

Term 2

• Analysis of arguments

Term 3

• Development of arguments

Term 4

• Defense of arguments

Term 5

Term 5 runs for 10 weeks.  It emphasizes refining skills of analysis, development and defense of arguments through practice of debate.

Term 5

• Refinement of skills of analysis, development and defense of arguments through practice of debate

Term 6

Term 6 runs for an unlimited number of weeks.  The option to continue beyond Term 5 is highly recommended because it fosters solidification of the foundation laid in terms 1 to 5.

Term 6

• Solidification of skills of analysis, development and defense of arguments through continued and regular practice of debate

The schedule of the course is designed to foster the deliberate and sustained process of developing critical and lateral thinking skills.  It includes a break of a few weeks between each of terms 1 through 5.  The break gives students space to think independently about the concepts covered in a term and opportunity to apply the thinking skills gained in a term to the greater world outside of class.

Term 1

• mid-October to late December

Term 2

• mid-January to late March

Term 3

• mid-April to late June

Term 4

• mid-July to late September

Term 5

• mid-October to late December

Term 6

• from mid-January

The pricing of the course is by term for Terms 1 to 5 and by class meeting for Term 6.

All terms include

• small class size of up to 3 students

• direct instruction in critical and lateral thinking

• emphasis on practical application of thinking skills

• online class meetings held in intimate forum

• interactive approach to teaching and learning

• fundamental preparation for school, admissions tests, competitive school admissions, career and life at large

Term 1

$450

• 10 hours of live instruction over 10 weeks

Term 2

$450

• 10 hours of live instruction over 10 weeks

Term 3

$450

• 10 hours of live instruction over 10 weeks

Term 4

$450

• 10 hours of live instruction over 10 weeks

Term 5

$450

• 10 hours of live instruction over 10 weeks

Term 6

$45 per class, pay per class

• unlimited hours of live instruction over an unlimited amount of time

EARLY PAY PACKAGE

Terms 1 to 5

$2,250 ($450 x 5 terms) $2,125 ($425 x 5 terms) with discount for early pay

• 50 hours of live instruction over 50 weeks

Still not convinced?  Want a trial lesson?

$50 per trial lesson

• 1 hour of live instruction

The curriculum of the course is suitable to children in Grade 6 and above, and to adults of any age.

If a child is in Grade 5 or below you can request to be added to the waitlist for enrollment when the child reaches Grade 6 or request an exception to be made.  To place a request please email on  thinkingskillscourse [at] gmail [dot] com  or fill in the contact form below.