Logic Resources

Logic is usually most easily identified by its misuse. Human beings need logic for a variety of purposes, but because we are human beings and not God, we're prone to do it all wrong. We attack people instead of addressing their arguments, we reach conclusions that the evidence doesn't support, we make statistics say what we want them to say.

They say knowing a real dollar bill as well as possible is the surest way to spot a counterfeit, and the same is true of logic. If you want to avoid the pitfalls of bad reasoning, the solution probably isn't to bone up on the fallacies, it's to study and understand the principles of critical thinking and the steps necessary for building a solid argument.

Knowing the fallacies is a good idea, though. As is being able to define deductive and inductive logic, knowing how to conduct research, the best way to frame a rebuttal, etc. As Christians, logic is one of the primary tools we use for interpreting the Bible (in conjunction with the Holy Spirit, of course), and one of our best weapons for defending the faith and maintaining purity of doctrine.

A growing number of curricula offer comprehensive introductions for homeschool students, most of them very good. Finding a good program for your family is an excellent first step toward raising kids who can think well, but it's not a place to stop. These courses usually tend toward introductory-level material (most of the offerings from Critical Thinking Press) or intense theoretical concepts (Memoria Press' and Canon Press' logic programs), and you'll want to fill out your students' knowledge.

The best way to get better at logical thinking is to practice. For older students and adults, this often means simply applying what they know to the world around them, analyzing the news, books, movies, sermons, etc. Younger students, however, require more guidance, and there are a variety of worktexts available filled with logic problems for them to complete.

Many of these books center around real-life problems and examples, thus demonstrating the ways critical thinking is useful in day-to-day situations. The James Madison Critical Thinking Course for high school student is an excellent example, as it guides students through a series of fictional crime scene investigations designed to strengthen critical thinking skills.

For Christians, the works of Hans and Nathaniel Bluedorn provide excellent (and highly entertaining) supplemental reading. The Fallacy Detective shows students how to identify and avoid 38 common fallacies, while The Thinking Toolbox helps them understand how to construct a logical argument. Together, they provide a brief but thorough introduction to both the principles of fallacy identification and good reasoning. Similarly, Doug Wilson & son N.D. offer a humorous introduction in their Amazing Dr. Ransom's Bestiary of Adorable Fallacies, which describes fallacies as fifty cute (but disease- and flea-ridden) little creatures. Less funny, but still helpful for anyone, Mastering Logical Fallacies ups the number of fallacies introduced to 61.

We can't overemphasize the importance of teaching our children (and ourselves!) the principles of clear thinking and logic. The ability to connect ideas and knowledge, to move beyond rote memorization to understanding, to think creatively and independently—all these are predicated on knowledge and understanding of logic, the use of which is simply a reflection of our creation in God's image.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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47 Items found Print
Amazing Dr. Ransom's Bestiary of Adorable Fallacies
by Doug & N.D. Wilson
from Canon Press
for 8th-Adult
in Introductory & Intermediate Logic (Location: LOG-CAN)
$24.99
Analogies for All of Us
by Marc Hays
from Classical Conversations
for 7th-9th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$24.99
Awesome Math Problems for Creative Thinking
by Carole E. Greenes
1st edition from Creative Publications
for 1st-6th grade
in Miscellaneous Math Curriculum (Location: MATR-MISC)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
Book of Think
Brown Paper School Books
by Marilyn Burns
from Little, Brown & Company
for 3rd-7th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
Can You Find Me? PreK
by Michael Baker & Cheryl Block
from Critical Thinking Books
for Preschool
in Building Thinking Skills (Location: LOG-BTS)
$16.99
Creative Problem Solving Level 1
by Carla Fonseca
from Critical Thinking Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$20.99
Critical & Creative Thinking Activities Grade 1
from Evan-Moor Educational Publishers
for 1st grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Critical Thinking Grade 2 Bundle
from Critical Thinking Books
for 2nd grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$271.66
Critical Thinking Grade 3 Bundle
from Critical Thinking Books
for 3rd grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$265.34
Critical Thinking Grade 4 Bundle
from Critical Thinking Books
for 4th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$305.81
Critical Thinking Grade 5 Bundle
from Critical Thinking Books
for 5th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$309.40
Critical Thinking Grade 6 Bundle
from Critical Thinking Books
for 6th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$234.76
Critical Thinking Grade 7-8 Bundle
from Critical Thinking Books
for 7th-8th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$295.05
Critical Thinking High School Bundle
from Critical Thinking Books
for 9th-12th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$297.77
Critical Thinking K-1 Bundle
from Critical Thinking Books
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$211.40
Critical Thinking PreK Bundle
from Critical Thinking Books
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$179.92
Everyday Debate & Discussion
by Shelly Johnson
from Classical Academic Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Speech & Debate (Location: SPEECH)
$31.95
Everyday Debate & Discussion - Teacher Guide
by Shelly Johnson
Tch from Classical Academic Press
for 7th-12th grade
in Speech & Debate (Location: SPEECH)
$34.95
Half 'n Half Animals B1
by Elaine Heller
1st edition from Critical Thinking Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Inference Jones - Beginning 2
by Robert E. Owen
from Critical Thinking Books
for 3rd-4th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$11.99
Inference Jones - Level 1
by Robert E. Owen
from Critical Thinking Books
for 5th-6th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$11.99
Introducing Logic and Critical Thinking
by T. Ryan Byerly
from Baker Academics
for 11th-Adult
in Christians & Thought (Location: XAP-THO)
$30.00
Introduction to Logic
by Alfred Tarski
from Dover Publications
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
James Madison Critical Thinking Course
by William O'Meara & Daniel Flage
from Critical Thinking Books
for 9th-Adult
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$39.99 $25.00 (1 in stock)
James Madison Critical Thinking Course - Instruction/Answer Guide
by William O'Meara & Daniel Flage
from Critical Thinking Books
for 9th-Adult
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$10.99 $6.00 (3 in stock)
Journey
by Peter Kreeft
from InterVarsity Press
for 9th-Adult
in Philosophy (Location: XWV-PHI)
Language and Thinking for Young Children
by Ruth Beechick
from Mott Media
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
$3.00 (3 in stock)
Learning Logic at Home
by Nathaniel Bluedorn
from Trivium Pursuit
for 10th-Adult
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
Life of Fred: Logic
by Stanley F. Schmidt, Ph. D
from Polka Dot Publishing
for 9th-Adult
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$49.00
Logic: A God-Centered Approach to the Foundation of Western Thought
by Vern Sheridan Poythress
1st edition from Crossway Books
for Adult
in Christians & Thought (Location: XAP-THO)
$55.00
Mastering Logical Fallacies
by Michael Withey, Foreword by Henry Zhang
from Zephyros Press
for 9th-Adult
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$16.99
Pattern Explorer Level 2
by Darin Beigie
from Critical Thinking Books
for 7th-9th grade
in Critical Thinking Series (Location: LOG-CTS)
$14.99
Private Eye
by Kerry Ruef
Revised
for 1st-6th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$8.50 (1 in stock)
Red Herring Mysteries Level 1
by Thomas Camilli
from Critical Thinking Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$14.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Red Herring Mysteries Level 2
by Thomas Camilli
from Critical Thinking Books
for 7th-12th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$14.99 $10.00 (2 in stock)
Shapes & Logic 1 Wrap-Up Keys
from Learning Wrap-Ups
for 3rd-6th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
Think Analogies A1
by Cheryl Block
from Critical Thinking Books
for 3rd-5th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$12.99
Think Analogies B1
by Cheryl Block
from Critical Thinking Books
for 3rd-5th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$12.99 $7.50 (3 in stock)
Think-a-Grams A1
by Evelyne M. Graham
from Critical Thinking Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$10.99 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Think-a-Grams A2
by Evelyne M. Graham
from Critical Thinking Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$10.99
Think-A-Grams B1
by Evelyne Graham
from Critical Thinking Books
for 7th-8th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$10.99
Thinker Doodles Half 'n' Half Animals A1
from Critical Thinking Books
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Trivium Tables: Logic
from Classical Conversations
for 5th-8th grade
in Classical Conversations (Location: CUR-CC)
$12.00 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Tuttle Twins Guide to Logical Fallacies
by Connor Boyack
from Libertas Press
in Economics Resources (Location: ECON-REF)
Visual Perceptual Skill Building - Book 1
by Raya Burstein
from Critical Thinking Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$21.99
Visual Perceptual Skill Building - Book 2
by Raya Burstein
from Critical Thinking Books
for 2nd-4th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$21.99
What Would You Do? Book 2
by Michael Baker
from Critical Thinking Books
for 6th-12th grade
in Logic Resources (Location: LOG-RES)
$8.99