ABSTRACT
Today a redefinition of literacy is in process that will incorporate the broader understandings and competencies needed in our changing society. An important component of this redefinition consists of critical thinking skills that underlie social competence and reading comprehension. One purpose of this chapter is to explore the rationale for the changing view of the requirements for literacy. The second is to describe an initial study designed to evaluate an instructional program to teach students with learning disabilities to improve their ability to solve real-life problems by thinking critically. Students generated a general problem-solving schema that consisted of a series of questions to be asked in making a decision. They then applied the schema to problems presented in short narratives; these problems were similar to those they were experiencing in their own lives.
