Higher Order Thinking: Strategies to Boost Student Learning

Looking for ways to help your students think beyond the basics? Higher order thinking encourages learners to move past simple recall and dive into analysis, evaluation, and creativity. It is vital in today’s education system as it encourages students to engage deeply with material and think critically about the world around them.

In this guide, we’ll explore what higher order thinking really means, why it matters, and how you can foster these skills in your classroom. Whether you’re teaching reading, math, or science, this post is packed with practical ideas just for you.

What Is Higher Order Thinking?

Higher order thinking refers to the ability to go beyond basic memorization and recall. Instead of just remembering facts or repeating information, students use their minds to analyze, evaluate, and create. These skills help learners understand ideas at a deeper level and apply what they know in new and meaningful ways.

What is higher order thinking?

Download this worksheet to help students develop higher order thinking skills and apply knowledge creatively in the classroom.

This concept is closely tied to Bloom’s Taxonomy, a framework that ranks thinking skills from basic to advanced. The lower levels – remembering, understanding, and applying – are considered lower order thinking. In contrast, higher order thinking focuses on the top three levels:

• Analyzing: breaking information into parts and seeing how they relate.
• Evaluating: making judgments based on criteria and standards.
• Creating: using knowledge to produce something new.

For example, while lower-level thinking might ask a student to list the causes of a historical event, higher order thinking challenges them to compare those causes and decide which had the biggest impact — and why. It’s not just about “what happened,” but “why it matters” and “how it connects” to other knowledge.

The Roots: Bloom’s Taxonomy

To truly understand higher order thinking, it helps to look at Bloom’s Taxonomy – a wide used framework for categorizing levels of thinking in education. Developed by Dr. Benjamin Bloom and colleagues, it organizes thinking skills from the simplest to the most complex.

Bloom’s Taxonomy divides skills into two main categories:

Lower Order Thinking Skills:

• Remembering: Recalling facts and basic concepts.
• Understanding: Explaining ideas or concepts.
• Applying: Using information in new situations.

Higher Order Thinking Skills:

• Analyzing: Breaking information into parts to explore relationships and patterns.
• Evaluating: Making judgments based on criteria and evidence.
• Creating: Putting information together in new and innovative ways.

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Download this Bloom’s Taxonomy chart to enhance classroom learning and help students master higher order thinking skills.

3 Levels of Higher Order Thinking Skills

According to Bloom’s Taxonomy, there are three core levels of higher order thinking: Analyze, Evaluate, and Create. These levels push students beyond surface-level learning into deeper understanding and application of knowledge.

Let’s explore each level in detail, with examples and tips to help teachers nurture these skills in their classrooms.

Levels of higher order thinking skills

Download this visual worksheet to help students master the 3 levels of higher order thinking and become confident, critical thinkers.

1. Analyzing

At the Analyzing level, students examine information, look at how parts relate to the whole, and explore patterns or connections. This level involves critical thinking, as students dissect ideas to understand how and why things work.

Skills Involved:

• Differentiating between facts and opinions.
• Organizing ideas into categories.
• Identifying causes and effects.
• Comparing and contrasting concepts.

Teacher Tip: Use graphic organizers like Venn diagrams or cause-and-effect charts to help students visualize relationships within content.

2. Evaluating

The Evaluating level challenges students to assess information, form opinions based on criteria, and justify their thinking. This level requires not only understanding but also the confidence to take a stance and back it up with evidence.

Skills Involved:

• Critiquing ideas or arguments.
• Judging the credibility of sources.
• Defending a position with logic and facts.
• Making decisions based on set criteria.

Teacher Tip: Encourage debates, peer reviews, or persuasive writing activities to allow students to practice evaluation in varied contexts.

3. Creating

At the highest level, Creating, students use what they know to develop original ideas, design new products, or solve problems creatively. This level blends imagination with knowledge, empowering students to become innovators.

Skills Involved:

• Designing new solutions or products.
• Planning and constructing projects.
• Developing a hypothesis or model.
• Composing original works (stories, songs, experiments).

Teacher Tip: Offer project-based learning opportunities where students can brainstorm, prototype, and present their creations. Let them take ownership of their learning journey.

Strategies to Develop Higher Order Thinking

Below are some practical strategies teachers can use to develop higher order thinking in everyday lessons.

Strategies to develop higher order thinking

Download this colorful worksheet to apply 6 proven strategies for boosting higher order thinking in your classroom.

1. Ask Open-Ended Questions

One of the simplest yet most powerful tools for promoting higher order thinking is asking open-ended questions. These are questions that don’t have just one right answer. Instead, they require students to explain, reason, and think deeply.

Examples:

• “Why do you think the character made that choice?”
• “What would happen if we changed one part of this experiment?”

2. Encouraging Discussions and Debates

Facilitating classroom discussions or debates enables students to express their viewpoints and critically assess differing opinions. This practice helps them articulate their thoughts and enhances their critical thinking skills.

3. Use of STEM Challenges

Incorporating STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) challenges into your curriculum not only attracts student interest but also necessitates higher order thinking as they solve real-world problems.

Example Stems:

• Analyzing: “What are the similarities between…?”
• Evaluating: “Do you agree with…? Why or why not?”
• Creating: “Can you design a new way to…?”

4. Use Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers can help students visually map out their thoughts, making complex ideas easier to understand and analyze. This organizational tool supports higher order thinking by breaking down information logically.

Example: Have students use a compare-and-contrast chart to analyze two historical events or scientific processes.

5. Incorporating Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning (PBL) immerses students in real-world challenges, allowing them to apply their knowledge creatively and practically. This approach not only fosters engagement but also promotes higher order thinking skills as students work collaboratively to devise solutions.

Example Project: After a unit on ecosystems, students design their own imaginary ecosystem, complete with unique animals, plants, and environmental factors.

6. Encourage Reflection

Ask students to think about their learning process. Reflection helps students think about their thinking. When they reflect, they learn from both their successes and mistakes.

Example Reflection Questions:

• “What was the most challenging part of this task?”
• “How did you solve the problem, and what did you learn from it?”

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is an example of high order thinking?

High order thinking could be analyzing why a character made certain choices in a story or creating a new invention to solve a real-world problem. It’s about going beyond facts to think deeply and creatively.

2. What is a higher order question?

A higher order question asks students to explain, judge, or invent something—like “How would you change the ending of this story to make it more exciting?” These questions spark deeper thinking and discussion.

3. How do you train higher-order thinking?

You can build higher order thinking by asking open-ended questions, encouraging problem-solving, and letting students reflect on their learning. The key is giving them challenges that make them think!

Wrapping Up

In summary, higher order thinking is essential for cultivating intelligent, capable students who are prepared for the complexities of modern life. By implementing effective strategies to promote these skills, educators play a pivotal role in shaping critical thinkers and lifelong learners.

Encourage the use of these strategies in your teaching practices and observe the positive impact they have on student learning.