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Using Pourquoi Tales to Foster Logical Reasoning A pourquoi (French for "why") is a terrific way to cultivate problem-solving and divergent thinking-core skills of logical reasoning-in the student learning framework. Logical reasoning is associated with the capacity to generate alternative ideas, and pourquois involve creating alternative ideas to explain a natural phenomenon in the world (e.g., why stars shine at night or how zebras got stripes).

Computers intersect with every aspect of kids' lives, but most kids don't understand how they work. Through coding, students build essential literacy skills, gain an understanding of logic and sequence, and learn the mechanics of iteration. These tools support project-based learning and give students the freedom to create, collaborate, hack, remix, and tinker with their own unique designs. Using these picks, kids can unlock the logic of code and the basics of programming, turning computers into tools to make new things.

"But a fascinating review of the scientific research on how to teach critical thinking concludes that teaching generic critical thinking skills, such as logical reasoning, might be a big waste of time. Critical thinking exercises and games haven't produced long-lasting improvements for students. And the research literature shows that it's very difficult for students to apply critical thinking skills learned in one subject to another, even between different fields of science."