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The Critical Thinking Child


Awarded NSSA Tutoring
Program Design Badge

Mission:

We empower parents, schools, and nonprofits with high-quality tutoring, test preparation, and academic resources that inspire critical thinking in PreK-12 students. Instead of teaching children what to think, we teach them how to think, so their critical thinking skills can prepare them for any test, any challenge, and any future.

Program Description:

At the Critical Thinking Child (CTC), we provide tutoring and educational consulting for students, parents, and partners seeking to support children and young people in navigating academic success within our modern era of technology. We prepare students to engage in learning and think critically and deeply about our evolving world.

We offer a variety of programs, including workshops, academic assessments, tutoring, selective test prep, educational workbooks, and more. Our tutoring and test prep are offered in one-on-one, small group, and classroom settings. We begin with an assessment so we can tailor learning to individualized needs and track academic advancement, attendance, and other important metrics during the program. Among our specialties is high-impact tutoring, which involves consistent sessions with one tutor and a small group of up to four students. In these programs, tutoring is led by experienced tutors, certified teachers, and paraprofessionals; additional support is provided by volunteers and parents/guardians, while students also have a chance to develop their confidence and leadership skills by providing peer tutoring.

Our curriculum focuses on the future of education, combining topics like social-emotional learning (SEL) and digital wellness with foundational learning skills in reading and math that will lead to accelerated life-long learning. We use a 7-step Guided Discovery Process to engage learners, including encouraging participation, facilitating discussion, inviting peer opinions, encouraging debate, inviting reflection, finalizing an answer choice, and affirming the process.

In a world where AI and technology are reshaping education and workplaces, critical thinking has never been more valuable. Children’s success hinges on their ability to think critically, adapt quickly, and solve problems creatively. CTC is more than an educational service; we’ve created the village that modern parents, guardians, and schools need to stay a step ahead of the game. Through personalized coaching, interactive online platforms, and AI-powered tools, we equip parents and guardians to be childrens’ first and most important teacher in developing critical thinking skills.

Type of service
Tutoring Program
Technology Platform
Website Address
https://www.thecriticalthinkingchild.com
Year Started
2013
Headquarter Location (City, State)
Chicago, Illinois
States of Operation
Alabama,
Alaska,
Arizona,
Arkansas,
California,
Colorado,
Connecticut,
Delaware,
Florida,
Georgia,
Hawaii,
Idaho,
Illinois,
Indiana,
Iowa,
Kansas,
Kentucky,
Louisiana,
Maine,
Maryland,
Massachusetts,
Michigan,
Minnesota,
Mississippi,
Missouri,
Montana,
Nebraska,
Nevada,
New Hampshire,
New Jersey,
New Mexico,
New York,
North Carolina,
North Dakota,
Ohio,
Oklahoma,
Oregon,
Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island,
South Carolina,
South Dakota,
Tennessee,
Texas,
Utah,
Vermont,
Virginia,
Washington,
Washington DC,
West Virginia,
Wisconsin,
Wyoming,
Virtual
Operation Locations
The Critical Thinking Child offers online tutoring, enabling us to provide services to students regardless of their location.
Most recent number of students served
1,000-4,999
Subject Offered
Early Literacy,
English Language Arts (ELA),
Math,
Reading,
Science,
Social Studies,
Other
Other subjects
STEM/Cybersecurity, Spanish, Executive Functioning, Writing, Social Emotional Learning (SEL), Critical Thinking, Study Skills, Selective Enrollment Test Prep, PSATs, SATs, ACTs
Grade Levels
Pre-Kindergarten,
Kindergarten,
1st Grade,
2nd Grade,
3rd Grade,
4th Grade,
5th Grade,
6th Grade,
7th Grade,
8th Grade,
9th Grade,
10th Grade,
11th Grade,
12th Grade
Languages Offered
English, Spanish
Setting
During School,
Out of School
Delivery Mode
Blended,
In-Person,
Virtual
Tutor-Student Ratio
1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5
Number of Sessions Per Week
One day per week, Two days per week
Number of Minutes Per Session
30 minutes or less, 30-45 minutes ,46-60 minutes, 61-90 minutes, 91-120 minutes
Number of Weeks Per Program
6 weeks or less, 7-12 weeks, 13-20 weeks, 20-38 weeks, > 38 weeks
Does your program engage with parents?
Yes
Family Engagement Description

We engage families/caregivers for the following purposes: 

  • To support scheduling
  • Sharing tutoring session content
  • Reporting attendance
  • Sharing academic progress
  • Sharing social or emotional progress
  • Accessing student information
  • Sharing at-home support suggestions
  • Family/Caregiver survey
  • Goal setting and monitoring progress toward goals
Organization Type
For Profit
Customer Type
District, Nonprofit, Parent, School, Student
Cost to District/ School/ Non-Profit
$500-$999
Type of Tutor
Certified Teacher, Pre-Service Teacher, K-12 Paraprofessional/Teaching Assistant/Aide,College/University Student (e.g., any college/university student who is not a pre-service teacher)
Randomized controlled trial (RCT) study conducted?
No
Quasi-experimental (QED) study conducted?
No
Contact Email
lemiola@criticalthinkingchild.com
Contact Name
Lemi-Ola Erinkitola