Use brainstorming activities in diverse subject areas. Brainstorming encourages students to think open-endedly and creatively. For instance, if presenting a science lesson on the seasons of the year, challenge students to brainstorm differences between winter and summer. If presenting a lesson on animal species, challenge students to brainstorm characteristics about a certain animal or species. No matter the subject area, brainstorming reinforces critical thinking skills and encourages mental development.
Take advantage of group reading to develop analytical thinking skills. After reading a chapter or short story aloud to students, ask the students an open-ended question that cannot be answered affirmatively or negatively. For instance, ask the children to evaluate a character or to predict the action or outcome of the next chapter. Facilitate a discussion between students, encouraging them to contribute new ideas and to respond to classmates' ideas.
Reinforce analytical thinking skills in free writing assignments. At the first grade level, student free writing is very basic and typically consists of only a few simple sentences. However, you can still use these short assignments to practice critical thinking skills. Rather than have students write sentences based on personal facts, such as favorite animals or colors, challenge students to write a few sentences in response to a question. For instance, require a student to write why a dog is an ideal pet. Alternatively, ask students to identify their favorite holiday but also---and more importantly---to explain their choice.
An essential component of analytical thinking is the ability to make connections between personal experience or knowledge to new material or concepts. To practice this, challenge students to think critically about instances or scenarios that they have experienced that are similar to scenarios in narratives or stories. Use this activity in a social studies lesson, such as a lesson about historical treatment of minorities. Ask each student to think about a time when he felt unjustly persecuted by others or excluded from a group. Invite students to share their experiences aloud with the class and have a discussion about the implications of discrimination.