Think TonightI had a question about the product and immediately - I mean, within minutes of
sending an email - Helen phoned me and gave me what was essentially a free
expert consultation on GATE testing; she then customized my order. I highly
recommend this testing prep bundle and this company. N.R., CA Thank you for your thorough guidance regarding my daughter's preparation for her GATE. You were right on target with what books to use. Not only did she pass the test with only one weekend to prepare, she was the ONLY ONE in her 2nd grade who passed the test. Exposing her to the materials was astounding. The books allowed her to see such different perspectives on everything and learning ways to solve problems. I am so excited in having her use the other books in the summer. I will definitely be buying more books from you as soon as we are done with all the books.
A Truly Appreciative Parent, CA
At your suggestion, I purchased both Thinkanalogy puzzles CD-ROM and Building Thinking Skills for my son in anticipation of the John Hopkins SCAT. WOW, His reading, comprehension and understanding of EVERYTHING has just exploded since completing these products and he earned high honors on the Johns Hopkins SCAT exam for second grade. It was amazing watching him go through the process.
A happy parent.
It is a rare chance when the owner of a learning company spends time with a parent on the telephone to guide her to appropriate product choices. You did do this and I am grateful. Our child, already in an accelerated program, was readying to take several exams for different accelerated schools in New York City. Your recommendations, three different books, were attempted and completed by him in a period of 8 days (700 pages!). You assured me that the only way to properly prepare was in familiarizing him with 'critical thinking' problems in English and in Math. He did this on his own and we just had news that he was accepted into the number one middle school in New York City. I would like to say thank you. Your time and advice transcended what we would have done for him on our own and there is no tutor who can guarantee such success.
B., NY
My daughter is in second grade, and she was screened in February for her school's G&T program by the CoGAT test. Before the test I ordered a couple of excellent materials that you recommended: Building Thinking Skills 1, DooRiddles, and Mind Benders. After completing all three workbooks, she scored 142, and was sent on to further screening. Thank you!
G., NJ
My daughter got accepted at highly gifted center at Pinecrest Elementary School, MD. She was able to get a great information and practice from the book I bought. It helped me better understand the sequence and patterns used on the IQ test. Thank you so much. Now I don't need to send my daughter to private school to get a better education because she will be joining the gifted and talented elementary school on the next school year. I am proud of her.
M.A. MD
Wonderful website! Great resource! I especially appreciate your advice on specific products-- it's like having well-informed, more experienced parent give me suggestions on products that will help my children. We recently ordered the "Building Thinking Skills" based on your recommendation. My son has been enjoying it, and I appreciate that it is teaching him skills that aren't necessarily emphasized at school. Please keep the suggestions and advice coming!
Susan, SC
I purchased some materials for my son and daughter a few months ago. For my son, I specifically wanted to help him for a very hard entrance exam into a VERY hard to get into prep school in Dallas. Well, we went through a lot of the material in that thick book and he took the exam on Jan. 31 As soon as he came out of the exam he said: “mommy, a lot of the stuff in that book was on my exam and I knew the answers, it was easy!”. Well, that was the first step, 3 weeks later we got the acceptance letter. The funny thing is that he has 2 friends who were not accepted into the school who are close to geniuses and have high honors, and my son has more of an 88-98 average on all subjects with regular honors, not all 99-100’s and he was still chosen. So we wanted to thank you for your advice, since you wrote me and recommended which books to get. Now my question is, I don’t want him to fall behind when he starts this school in the Fall, I will probably contact you around May to see what else I can get for him to keep up with the demand of this school and to do well (study skills, reading comprehension, analytical skills, etc.). Thanks again from very happy customers.
Connie H., TX
I just wanted to let you know that my son got into the Quest Gifted Program in Lake Washington School District. I appreciate your suggestions on what type of books & materials would help us, as parents, to assist Kindergarten kids to prepare for Exam. It helped us better understand the sequence and patterns used on the CoGat. Thank you so much! I do not have to send my son to private school to get a better education because he will be joining the gifted elementary school on the next school year. I am proud of him. Exposing him to the materials was astounding. The books allowed him to see such different perspectives on everything and learning ways to solve problems. I have enough material for him to work on and find himself challenged for this summer. I will definitely be asking your recommendation and buying more books from you as soon as we are done with all the books. THANK YOU!,
Parent, WA
We just found out that my daughter passed the gate test. Although our district doesn’t tell us her exact grade, they told us she scored 96 percent or better to make it into the gate program. We used all of the books you recommended for us and she was very prepared for the test. I didn’t think it was possible to prepare for a test like this but the books helped tremendously and got her familiar with the types of questions on the exam. She went into the test very confident. When I asked her how the test was she said, “It was easy.” Also, thank you for speaking to me on the telephone. I didn’t know that some of the questions were going to be read aloud so we practiced this as well. They only read the question once so thank you for letting me know. We will be ordering more books over the summer too.
Barbara.
I've been meaning to write to you for some time now. Just thought I'd let you know that I really appreciate that you responded so quickly to my call in the Fall of '08. I called and asked what books would be good to help my son study to take the gifted exam in a school district in California. You directed me to the Critical Thinking Co. series, Building Thinking Skills, and Brain Stretchers, and when I accidentally ordered the wrong level, you both called me and emailed me to let me know before you sent out the correct book. I really appreciate all of your help. I used the books to help prepare my 5th grader for the OLSAT and, a couple of months later, to help my 4th grader prepare for the same test. The critical thinking books helped expose them to the types of problems that they would encounter and made the process much easier for them. I'm so very happy to inform you that they both got the highest possible scores -- both scoring in the 99th percentile. They both sailed through the process and are now members of the gifted and talented program at their elementary school. This designation will stay with them, and I've been told that they will be eligible for special gifted classes in middle school and beyond. I have two younger children who will also benefit from your guidance and the books that you recommended. You can't really put a price on the success of my sons. I think their high scores and inclusion in the gifted program has made a dramatic difference in their self-confidence and how they approach their schooling as a whole. Thanks so much again. Your guidance and suggestion for the exact right materials made all the difference in the world.
M. R. CA
Thank you so much for all the help you provide at thinktonight.com! I really appreciate it! your products are simply super and they help my children enjoy and at the same time achieve success at school!
MH, VA
I’ve used your site to try and assess my Montessori educated children in preparation for moving into public schools and taking standardized and GT entrance tests. My girls, ages 5 and 7, love the “puzzles” we do together at night almost as much as they enjoy reading! Thank you for your suggestions. We’ll let you know our results this fall!
Kimberley D. TX
I just wanted to drop you a line to thank you for your very informative website. I was not so sure what to get for my daughter to improve her thinking skills and your explanations were very informative. And also it is wonderful that you welcome parents' questions/inputs via emails and calls.
Lucy C, MI
I looked for a long time to find ways to prepare my son for questions on the GATE test. I finally found your web site and am very grateful. Thank you.
Cheryl L, CA
I have to thank Helen for all of the great advice that she has given me. Her emails have been very helpful in narrowing down my search for products for my daughter. Also her emails are very timely and friendly. As a result, I intend to purchase quite a few books from your company. Thanks for always being available to answer my questions. I do appreciate it.
Kim
We just found out that my daughter passed the gate test and rec’d at or above the 96th percentile to get into the program. The books really helped and I will be ordering from you again shortly as we want to review over the summer. Thanks again for speaking to me on the telephone too.
Barbara M.
Recent TestimonialsAs an education consultant, I am always on the lookout for high quality materials that meet the needs of my students. Think Tonight maintains a superb inventory of books, games and practice test materials. I keep coming back for more. J.S.
Glad u r here. M.C.
It is an excellent resource for parents and educators around the world. The selection of books and software is excellent. P.K.
Great educational resources!! G.S.
Love the products at Think Tonight. C.Q.
I have been using Think Tonight for at least 5 years and have always enjoyed the great books and software the site offers. K.W.
Monkeying Around (Advanced Dot-to-Dot)
"These puzzles would help so much with not only number practice, but thinking logically and in order, focus, and small motor skills. Another great feature is how well they would work for all skill levels at the same time; something that can be challenging to find." Lisa, Michigan
"Thank you so much for letting us, me and my students, use your work for a mathematics unit. The specific Texas Essential Knowledge and Skill we addressed was 'Mathematics in Art and Architecture'. My students are 8th grade students experiencing really cool 'Dot-to-Dot!' art for the first time."
"I've never had so much fun in math class thanks to you!" Danielle, 8th Grade Student, Diane, El Paso, TX
“I really appreciated the fact that you number higher than most dot-to-dot books and that you have some interesting variations such as the 'Sets', 'Field of Dots', 'Stars', and 'Odd/Even'. These variations make your pages more challenging and reinforce math skills, and, as a teacher, I really appreciate that." Donna, Denver Christian Schools, Denver, CO
"This book presents dot-to-dots in a fun way, and more importantly, leaves you until the last few pen strokes before you're able to identify the incredibly detailed drawings.
"Highly recommended for kids and adults." Larry, Entertainer, age 29
"I am writing in regards to your Dot-to-Dot books. I absolutely love them! You do such a fantastic job in creating them. I like how you don't know what the picture is till you're done. Also, I like that fact that you don't always use numbers to follow the dots. I find the arrows difficult, but I like the challenge. Also, I like the symbols, directions, and all your other ways to follow the dots. You are very gifted in designing them. They are very unique and different. Keep up the fantastic work." Jane, Brandon, FL
"Recently I bought two of your dot-to-dot books and I cannot tell you how much I enjoy doing them. I'm a puzzle lover. I believe puzzles keep the brain quick. I've shown your book to some of my acquaintances who agree that they're cool and challenging so I need extra order forms. I'm going to need one for myself as well... I'm hooked! I did the compass puzzle - WOW! That's what I've got to say about it. You've got a faithful customer right here and I plan on owning every book you create!" Lisa, Palm Beach, FL
“My son is eating up your books! And he's only 4 1/2! He has learned to count way past 100, all because he enjoys doing your dot-to-dots so much! Thanks for a job well done." Margaret, Mom, Richmond, VA
"It really is the "greatest" of it's kind.
"This isn't like the dot-to-dot books I had as a kid. Like many others, I did them until I felt I had outgrown dot-to-dots. It wasn't until I saw these puzzles that I realized it wasn't dot-to-dots I had outgrown. It was the existing dot-to-dot books out there. This book, however, takes these simple puzzles to a new level. "I recently purchased your Greatest Dot to Dot book (Books 1 & 2) with the intent of using them in my daily practice. I am a physical therapist specializing in Vestibular Rehabilitation and working closely with patients status post stroke. Many of these patients have decreased visual perception, difficulty with visual scanning, processing disorders, and difficulty following sequences. Your puzzles address these concerns in a unique and inventive manner." Beth, Level 2 clinician, Vestibular Rehabilitation
SET Games
Sometimes the simplest ideas make the best games. It may be just a simple card game, but Set has won seven best game awards and recognition by Mensa. The "cards" in Set have symbols with four features: shape, color, number and texture. The goal is to pick sets of three cards based on a single-but subtle rule: Each of the four features must be the same on all three cards, or different on each card. Think it sounds too easy? Set force your brain to perceive patterns in a new way, and several variations keep you on your toes. Play solo, against the computer, with another player via modem or with up to nine others on the same PC. While Set may no have the glamour or visuals of the latest CD-ROM titles, it will keep you coming back for more(and it'll give you a better mental workout than Minesweeper) Ian Etra
Windows Magazine Review- January 1996.
"I think Quidder is the best game to come on the market in 1998. The more I play the more creative I am with words. During the eight rounds of play, the score can change back and forth so you never know who the winner will be. What a great family game!"
-Laura Stephens, Colorado Springs, CO
"Quiddler is the best word game I've ever played. As a former English teacher I've been fascinated by lots of them. It's fast paced and challenging."
-Pat Barry, Sacramento CA
The Critical Thinking Company
"Our eleven-year old son has learning disabilities. He struggles to read. He struggles to retain information from day to day. In early January/09, Cat 3 testing rated his reading score as 2.3, his language arts as 2.4, and his math as 3.6. We and he were amazed and totally pleased when his scores in late March were 4.2 for reading, 4.3 for language arts, and 4.9 for math. We wish to thank The Critical Thinking Co. for their terrific products which allowed this improvement to happen. These are the products we used:
1. Building Thinking Skills® Primary
2. Building Thinking Skills® Level 1
3. Mind Benders® Book 2
4. Mind Benders® A1(first half)
5. Memory Challenge
6. Think Analogies® A1
These products have greatly improved our son's academic abilities with only 5-10 minutes per day, per book, and doing two books per day. Next week, our son will be advancing into another new level of readers and will have completed 1/3 of grade 5 math. We will continue to use your products every step of the way. Thanks, The Critical Thinking Co." - Valerie Brodner, Saskatchewan, Canada
"My sons have benefited tremendously from your products. Calvin (10) is in a gifted program and Jack (14) is in an advanced curriculum . They both score in the high 90th percentiles in all standardized tests. As a mom and a university professor I can't thank The Critical Thinking Co.™ enough." Manika B. Kimbro, WA
"My daughter is 8, and we had tried several math programs usually stopping in the school year several times to find one that 'clicks.' Some of the programs left her in tears when I would say, 'ok, it's time for math.' She would say they were just too boring. It was the same thing over and over again. After visiting a curriculum fair one year, I had tried a Mind Benders® book because she likes a challenge. She loved it right away. She says each one is different, and it is fun to try and figure them out. So I decided to try Mathemetal Reasoning™ Level B. I was not disappointed. She is quite happy with it. They also have different types of math problems, not just the same thing over again. They lay the ground work for higher learning in an easy and fun way. Thanks so much, I am looking forward to trying other products." - Joanne C., FL
"I am a certified teacher in math and history. My 13-yr-old niece and her friend homeschool with me, and I was looking for curriculum materials in language arts, since I had accumulated very little in that area. Thanks to a friend, I was introduced to your products, and we now use both the Word Roots series and the Editor-in-Chief® series. They now look forward to their grammar sessions, instead of dreading the boring drills in their previous books." - Jane Turner, FL
"When my two children were 8 and 6, they completed Building Thinking Skills® Level 1 in just a few months. Every day they begged to do "the thinking book" first, and never wanted to stop after just a couple of pages. Many days they went on and on until I had to make them quit to do something else. My son jumped three grade levels that year in reading comprehension, and my daughter experienced major breakthroughs in her understanding of math concepts. Coincidence? I don't think so! This year we jumped back in to Building Thinking Skills® Level 2. They are now 10 and 8, and the interest level hasn't waned at all. I just love curriculum that the kids can't wait to do and that is obviously so good for their ability to think and process information. Thanks so much for such fun products!" - Cindy Landreth, OH
"I am a very experienced teacher and cognitive trainer. I own and direct a learning center and I have used the Building Thinking Skills® materials with my students. The success of developing the critical thinking skills is outstanding with these materials. One of my students was in the Special Education program for years; after working with theBuilding Thinking Skills® books he returned to grade level in seven months. I have worked with various brands of thinking skills materials, but The Critical Thinking Co.™ has the best on the market. I highly recommend these materials." - Claudette Anderson, Prescription for Success Learning Center, CO
"My four-year-old daughter and I began slowly working through [Mathematical Reasoning] together this fall. I figured we'd do a little here and there to start building some pre-math and math skills before jumping into a real curriculum next year. Well, she fell in love with the book! She would beg to "do math" everyday, and want to work on it for 30-40 minutes at a time. Her math skills are now blowing me away! After the section about dividing quantities in half, she started talking about halves all the time. And she even figured out what half of 3 was all on her own. She is now in a 1st grade math curriculum and breezing through it at age 4-1/2. [Mathematical Reasoning] really did what it promised — it built her mind up for future math experiences. Thanks so much for a great product!" - Katie Kopff, MO
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