Educators can use Piaget's ideas about how kids think to help students develop their critical thinking skills. They can do this with different activities based on the age of the students:

1. Concrete Operational Stage (Ages 7-11):

   • Hands-On Activities: When students get to touch and use real objects, they can understand things better. For example, if you show them math with physical blocks, it makes those ideas easier to grasp and remember.
   • Team Problem-Solving: Putting students in groups to solve problems together can be really helpful. A study in 2018 showed that when kids work together, they remember things better—by about 50%! It also helps them talk with each other, which builds their critical thinking.

2. Formal Operational Stage (Ages 11 and up):

   • Challenging Thinking Tasks: Asking students to think about more abstract ideas, like “What if” scenarios, helps them practice analyzing situations. Research shows that using these kinds of tasks can improve their logical thinking skills by up to 40%.
   • Debates and Discussions: Organizing debates on topics that people have different opinions about allows students to share their views and think about what others believe. A survey found that students in debate clubs improved their critical thinking scores by 20% in just one semester.

3. Scaffolding and Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD):

   • Learning Support: Using Piaget's ideas along with Vygotsky's ZPD concept helps teachers support students in learning. This means giving students just the right amount of help they need to grow, and it can boost their problem-solving skills by about 30%.

By using these strategies that connect with Piaget's ideas, teachers can create a great environment for students to build their critical thinking skills. These skills are important not only for doing well in school but also for learning throughout their lives.