"Coaches help lift up literacy in schools" (IndyStar, 01/29/09)

Coaches -- also called literacy teachers and literacy coordinators -- train teachers about reading strategies so students better understand what they're reading, retain the information and achieve a higher level of thinking.

"Is Technology Producing A Decline In Critical Thinking And Analysis?" (Science Daily, 01/29/09)

As technology has played a bigger role in our lives, our skills in critical thinking and analysis have declined, while our visual skills have improved, according to research by Patricia Greenfield, UCLA distinguished professor of psychology and director of the Children's Digital Media Center, Los Angeles.

"Schools tap '21st-century skills'" (Christian Science Monitor, 01/08/09)

For decades, the emphasis in public education has been on making sure that students can read, write, and do math. But can they apply those skills in a real-world scenario, such as designing a bridge? Can they identify what information they need and use digital tools to find it? Those are some of the capabilities known as "21st-century skills" – what everyone from CEOs to President-elect Obama says that today's students need for their fast-changing future.

Check Mate! Idaho Tries Chess to Boost Math, Reading Skills

An old-fashioned game helps students develop the critical thinking skills they need to succeed in reading and math. USA Today, September 19, 2008