As the demand grows for students to reach new academic standards, teachers must be prepared to change their model for learning. To that end, Virginia O'Keefe's new book focuses on two modes of language that are currently undertaught, undervalued, but absolutely essential: speaking and listening. O'Keefe's premise is that if the climate for oral communication is favorable, students will take more risks and increase their potential for higher-level thought.
In the first chapter of the book, O'Keefe discusses the rationale for using speaking and listening to affect critical thinking. The second chapter describes the structure and dynamics of a communication-based classroom and contains practical suggestions for developing an atmosphere that welcomes student talk. The final chapter explores specific critical-thinking skills and includes numerous activities for developing each skill. O'Keefe also offers guidelines for assessing the activities and relates the activities to current standards of learning that apply specifically to speaking and listening.
According to O'Keefe, the benefits of a communication-based learning environment are twofold: "If students experience learning in ways that encourage talking and listening, dramatic performance, small-group participation, and creative response, they have a chance to increase their repertoire of communication skills. When they form ideas, test meanings, receive feedback, and interact in a social setting, they also tap into their own innate abilities to think more effectively."
Developing Critical Thinking will be a useful tool for classroom teachers who wish to raise literacy standards for all of their students and prepare them for participation in an information society that demands literacy, not just in reading and writing, but in all four modes of language.