Making Everyday Choices: Helping Students in Grades 2-5 Practice the Art of Thinking

This book will serve as a “Think Button” for any educator who has ever heard a student say, “I can’t think” or “I can’t decide!” Fifty prompts or thinking conduits are the catalysts that will give students a chance to practice thinking. The prompts (many with option answers) are formatted as brief stories, exercises, poems, and activities and are designed so kids can use the same thinking skill sets that are essential in making everyday decisions. Whether the prompts pose silly questions, “Would you rather bathe a gorilla or take an elephant for a walk?” or practical ones, “What’s the best way to express your opinion?” they are all crafted to spur children to think hard and sensibly so they can make levelheaded decisions and defend their thinking in a stress-free think forum environment. The intention is for students to take the essence of something they’ve learned from a prompt and adapt it, stretch it, and use it to help solve a problem or make a tough decision. Every prompt comes with guidance, explanations, and suggestions so educators can clarify why certain options or decisions are better than others, and respond to thinking choices and decisions students may have made.

Table of Contents:
Preface: Why? Acknowledgments: Thank you Introduction: How Chapter 1: Do’s & Don’ts Chapter 2: One Step Ahead Buy Now . . . Uh Oh . . . No Time? Simplify The Dreaded Homework Tipping the Scales Chapter 3: Action Figures “No Thanks” Which Way? Rain, Rain, Rain Sick to Your Stomach Adults Make Decisions, too Chapter 4: Opinion Lab Back It Up . . . The Majority Rules Open Minds Fill-in-the-Blanks Should I or Shouldn’t I? Honest Opinion? Chapter 5: Streamlining Stuff Write About “Anything” Too Many Library Books! Recipe for Friendship Mixed Up Zeroing In Pick a Number, Any Number! Chapter 6: Side By Side Meet the Inventors Gorilla or Elephant? Juggling Act Six Words Me, Me, & Me What’s In a Name? Take Me to Your Leader Who Says I’m Bossy? Companion Sidebar on Brainstorming Chapter 7: Don’t Jump! Is Seeing Believing? Scrumptious! Fair or Unfair? How Does Your Garden Grow? Race in the Park What’s Inside? Chapter 8: Huh? What Did You Say? Better Safe Than Sorry The Early Bird Gets the Worm Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew Don’t Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch Haste Makes Waste Two Heads Are Better Than one Chapter 9: How Did This Happen? Oh, That Little Voice Walking the Dog Who Did It? We Can You Never Know Imagine If Cause and No Effect Chapter 10: Words of Wisdom: From the Experts Chapter 11: Food for Thought: A Menu for Educators Leave It Alone Outside the Cocoon In My Opinion What Do I Really Think? Counterproductive Getting Full Wrong Foot Forward Cut It Down Who Me? Before It Spirals . . . About the Author

About the Author :
Lin Josephson is a former business journalist and first grade teacher. She is a Philosophy for Children Practitioner, endorsed by The Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children (Montclair State University) and a 2013-2014 recipient of a PLATO (Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization) Award for excellence in philosophy teaching by a non-classroom teacher. She is the author of several language arts and science workbooks and has written freelance articles for such publications as Barron’s and The Chicago Tribune.

Review :
Lin Josephson’s book, Making Everyday Choices: Helping Students in Grades 2-5 Practice the Art of Thinking is a practical guide to help students think about their own decision making. With a short preface entitled Why?, Josephson immediately gets into the “how.” With eightchapters of prompts and catalysts, teachers can create what Josephson calls a “thinking laboratory.” These scenarios (or prompts) are relatable to elementary students and will undoubtedly push them to think more critically about how and why they make decisions. I am confident that you will not regret making the decision to read this book! Lin Josephson's latest work will be a wonderful handbook for new and seasoned teachers! When encouraging their students in the process of how to be independent thinkers, they will be provided with a method that is clear and accessible to all. Parents of school age children, too, are often looking for ways to support their child's education and they may look no further.