at least 150 words

There are multiple engagement strategies that could help foster critical thinking.  Four of the best, in my opinion, are inquiry, questioning, problem solving and collaboration.  By using inquiry, a teacher allows a student to be creative and talk or ask about topics that interest them.  This helps students wonder, develop background knowledge, question and find new information.  Questioning is important to help develop critical thinking skills.  By utilizing open ended questions, teachers encourage discussion which helps create active learning  Problem solving helps students to think independently.  Problem solving also helps students practice the questioning and inquiry strategies they have learned which also improves their critical thinking capabilities.  Collaboration helps students by teaching them how to communicate, work in teams and improve social and interpersonal skills.  By using collaboration, teachers are using an effective engagement strategy that helps students better understand what they are learning through group discussion which also helps to improve critical thinking skills (Lange, 2014).

Reference:

Lange, S. (2014). Strategies To Promote Critical Thinking in the Elementary Classroom – P21. Retrieved from http://www.p21.org/news-events/p21blog/1435-strategies-to-promote-critical-thinking-in-the-elementary-classroom