17 writing prompts for applying critical thought learning to think critically requires that we learn to ask good questions here are 17 writing prompts for encouraging critical thinking based on paul and edlers elements of thought. These prompts journal topics and discussion topics were accumulated during fourteen years as a classroom teacher of english esl i occasionally used them as full day discussion topics where the students had the opportunity to practice critical thinking writing presenting and discussion i. Writing an essay is a good practice for students to learn to present their arguments after forming judgments and making their decisions teaching your students to develop their critical thinking through writing essays is one thing but making sure that their language is polished and free of errors is something another lucky for your students . Writing develops critical thinking skills writing improves the thinking process and contributes to the development of critical thinking skills because an individual has to clearly state ideas and lay out arguments in such a way as to cultivate higher order thinking when writers respond to complex problems they have the opportunity to state all their ideas and explain how they would solve these problems this is critical thinking in action