ABSTRACT
The need to develop better thinking among America’s school children has been well documented. The National Assessment data from both reading and mathematics have highlighted the problem that has emerged from an overemphasis on skill instruction and multiple-answer testing. Students can select the correct answer when options are provided, but lack the ability to explain why they choose their answers or to substantiate their thinking about the choices they make. In the report issued by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (1988, p. 11) the authors expressed “increased concern about the critical reading abilities of our nation’s students.”
