{"id":965,"date":"2018-11-13T14:35:30","date_gmt":"2018-11-13T14:35:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/?p=965"},"modified":"2025-12-10T16:07:43","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T16:07:43","slug":"how-essay-writing-can-enhance-your-critical-thinking-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.americanboard.org\/blog\/how-essay-writing-can-enhance-your-critical-thinking-skills\/","title":{"rendered":"How Essay Writing Can Enhance Your Critical Thinking Skills"},"content":{"rendered":"

Learning how to develop ideas in writing is a major challenge for many students. Developing critical thinking means learning to think clearly and form judgments. Writing can be used as a tool to evaluate a student\u2019s ability to develop coherent arguments.<\/p>\n

75 percent of American 12th<\/sup> and 8th<\/sup> graders have insufficient writing skills<\/a>, as estimated by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Poor writing skills among students isn\u2019t a new phenomenon, however. Students have always struggled with critical thinking that is both difficult to teach and difficult to learn. Students who cannot think critically have a hard time developing their ideas in writing. Teaching students to develop an original idea and support it is more complicated than teaching them how to avoid spelling errors. Critical thinking involves evaluation, problem solving, and decision making which are all necessary ingredients in a good essay. Here are 8 ways how essay writing can enhance your students\u2019 critical thinking skills:<\/p>\n

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  1. Evaluating the reliability of information<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    When writing essays, students have to evaluate the reliability of the information that they have. Where did it come from, and how it was acquired? Does it serve someone\u2019s interests, and is there a reason to assume that it could biased?<\/p>\n

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      Differentiating between facts and opinions<\/strong><\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Evaluating different sources of information is important when presenting arguments. There is a difference between backing up your arguments with facts and opinions. Students will learn that facts are truths that can be proven, whereas opinions are only based on personal experiences, feelings, and beliefs that have not been tested.<\/p>\n

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        Reflecting on information<\/strong><\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Writing an essay allows students to understand how they react to information. Do they agree or disagree with it? Does it make them surprised, excited, or confused? And most importantly, why they react that way?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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        1. Making decisions<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Decision-making is a crucial part of critical thinking. It concerns how we make the most optimal choice between different alternatives. Students need to make decisions when they\u2019re writing an essay and they have to choose the best way to argue their position.<\/p>\n

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            Solving problems<\/strong><\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Every writer encounters problems, and the key to being successful is to have techniques to overcome those problems. A useful technique for students is to break down their problem into smaller parts. Writing an essay becomes easier to manage when they break it down to parts such as title, introduction, body, and ending paragraph.<\/p>\n

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              Using information in different forms<\/strong><\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Understanding how information is presented is essential for formulating arguments. Is the information in the form of a graph, table, paragraph, or chart? Why is it presented in this way? Students will learn to utilize information in many different forms.<\/p>\n

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                Evaluating arguments<\/strong><\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                Before students can draw their own conclusions, they must evaluate arguments from other people. Does the argument make sense in light of all evidence? When formulating their own thoughts in their essays, students will have to evaluate existing arguments. Can they find flaws in them, and is there a way to improve them?<\/p>\n

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                  Presenting arguments<\/strong><\/h6>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                  After students have weighed up the evidence and evaluated other arguments, it\u2019s time to present their own arguments. Writing an essay is a good practice for students to learn to present their arguments after forming judgments and making their decisions. Teaching your students to develop their critical thinking through writing essays is one thing but making sure that their language is polished and free of errors is something another. Lucky for your students, there are tools and services that can help them with this stage. The following can be useful for students who need editing for their essays:<\/p>\n