Your Young Scholar is faced with choices every day - both big and small.

Evaluative Thinking skills can help prepare them to better identify problems, think carefully through choices, understand criteria, and make the best choices for them.

Reading and discussing books and stories is a great way to help your Young Scholar practice their Evaluative Thinking skills. This month, I've included questions that can help your Young Scholar pay closer attention to the choices involved in the books they read.

Try out some of the questions below with the books your Young Scholar is reading!

Believe it or not, card games are a great way to practice Evaluative Thinking skills - especially when you can get your Young Scholar talking about the why behind their choices.

Below are a few fun examples that work well for Evaluative Thinking, but you'll also find that just a regular deck and a favorite card game

works, too!

The card game BLINK is an easy-to-learn matching game that works well with a variety of ages. To help build Evaluative Thinking skills, add in the rule that players need to say why they are choosing each of their matches.

If your Young Scholar likes BLINK, they'll love the game, BOLD.

BOLD takes matching to a new level involving memory, strategy, and a little luck. Scroll down on the website to play the online version.

Maybe numbers are your Young Scholar's thing! In the game, Low Down, players plan out their strategy to replace high scoring cards with low scoring cards in order to win. This also has an online version.

Here's a card game that uses a quick eye and smart fashion sense to make matches!

In Snappy Dressers, players develop criteria and work to match their cards faster than their partner. The deck includes 51 cards and instructions for 10 different games.

Check out the online version by scrolling down on the Snappy Dressers website.

Hi All!

My name is Colleen Redmond, and I am thrilled to work as the 833 Young Scholars advocate and lead teacher.

I'm a mom of two teenagers, a wife, small business owner, avid biker (the pedal kind), book enthusiast, and beekeeper. Plus, on top of all of that, I have the happy job of implementing and growing the Young Scholars program here in 833!

I've been lucky enough to teach in South Washington County Schools for over twenty-five years and have had the incredible opportunity to be a part of the lives of so many students and families over the years.

Now, as part of Young Scholars, I have the honor of working with the amazing staff, students, and families throughout 833. I am so very excited to work with and support you and your Young Scholar. I can't wait to see where the journey takes us!