[ High School and Self-Education Board ]
Posted by Tina in Ouray on 15:07 May 2
In Reply to: Need formal logic course, considering Introductory Logic, Critical Thinking, which will prep dd for hs? (she's starting grade 8, but we're thinking ahead.) nt posted by Karin
Karin,
If you search this board you'll find that I always recommend Memoria Press's "Traditional Logic" (Books I and II) for teaching formal logic.
You'll probably also find that I steer folks clear of "Critical Thinking." I know there are others who do use and recommend this book, and I don't mean to make light of their personal experience. But this book doesn't sytematically teach formal logic.
"Formal logic" is the study of the structure (or form) of arguments, specifically deductive arguments. I generally begin teaching formal logic in 7th or 8th grade. If a student is capable of handling the abstraction of algebra, that is usually a pretty good indication that they'll do fine with "Traditional Logic." Books I and II can be covered in a single year. But if your student has a full schedule or just needs the time to assimilate and master the concepts in Traditional Logic Book I, you could easily put off Book II until 9th grade.
Tina in Ouray, CO