Higher Order Thinking

Although the skills in sections of this curriculum supplement are presented sequentially, they are not intended to be taught in isolation or necessarily in order. In particular, most existing GED materials for math instruction organize content in a sequential manner (i.e., whole numbers, fractions, decimals), even though this does not reflect current research regarding acquisition of math skills. GED students often have a wide range of math skills and each student should be individually assessed.

Similarly, emphasis should be placed on the student using reading and writing processes to lead to higher-order thinking such as application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. This focus on abstract reasoning and problem solving considers the adult world and stresses the workplace, a global perspective, and the emergence of new technologies. The key concepts listed in this curriculum supplement are provided as a guide and are not all-inclusive.

The GED tests, in addition to measuring the integrated and comprehensive skills of each subtest, are primarily a multiple choice reading test. Examinees must be able to comprehend and draw inferences from written and graphic materials. This curriculum supplement should be used by teachers for students who demonstrate a reading competence comparable to that of a senior high school student. It is important to remember that the test is normed on high school seniors. Please note that mathematics concepts and basic reading and writing skills are covered in other sections of this document.