Thinking and Language Reflection Worksheet

Reflect on your understanding of the relationship between thinking and language.

Answer the following questions in 100-200 words each:

a) How do individuals acquire and develop language?

b) How do you personally communicate your thoughts and how did you learn to do so?

c) Based on your own experiences, what are some symbols (e.g., letters of the alphabet) people use to communicate?

d) Explain how you think these symbols are related to critical thinking?

The assignment will be graded according to the following criteria:

a) Clarity: The intent of the writer is clear.

b) Logic: The answer makes sense.

c) Answers question: The questions are addressed fully.

d) Mechanics: Answers contain proper punctuation and grammar.

PHI-105 Persuasive Essay Guidelines

Topics 1-7: Full-Course Assignment

1) Throughout this course, you will work on writing a persuasive essay of 750–1,000 words (roughly three to five pages).

2) The essay-writing process is broken down into seven parts. Each part will be due in a different topic and graded separately.

a) Topic and Audience (due by the end of Topic 1)

b) Brainstorm (due by the end of Topic 2)

c) Thesis Statement (due by the end of Topic 3)

d) Outline (due by the end of Topic 4)

e) First Draft (due by the end of Topic 5)

f) Peer Review (due by the end of Topic 6)

g) Final Draft (due by the end of Topic 7)

3) Your essay will be informed by the topic readings and the use of a minimum of three peer-reviewed journal articles, that you will need to locate using the GCU Library. Use the PHI-105 Library Guide to help find peer-reviewed sources: https://libguides.gcu.edu/PHI-105

4) For this essay, you will begin by choosing a topic from the list provided in the “Persuasive Essay: Topic and Audience Worksheet.” If you would like to write about a topic that is not on the list, you may ask the instructor for permission.

5) Next, take a position on your topic by deciding if you are for or against the topic or agree or disagree with specific issues related to the topic. This would be considered the “writing prompt,” or what you will be responding to in your essay.

6) The goal of this essay is for you to persuade your audience to agree with your position. Your written essay should demonstrate critical thinking by adhering to the following principles which will be studied throughout the course:

a) Manage emotions and avoid fallacies.

b) Provide evidence to support your position.

c) Acknowledge other perspectives and evaluate assumptions about the topic.

d) Use facts and figures when appropriate.

7) Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

8) This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

9) You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.

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Topic 4: Persuasive Essay: Outline Worksheet

Persuasive Essay Outline

Introductory Paragraph:

Hook: Reading stimulates the imagination of children and expands their understanding of the world.

Background and contextual information:

Thesis Sentence:

Reading inaugurates a child’s mind by advancing communication skills, increasing vocabulary, and exposing them to new worlds of fantasy they might not otherwise encounter.

Supporting paragraph 1 (Subtopic 1)

To foster comprehension skills

Detail A: Allowing children to read out a loud is an effective strategy for helping children to improve their reading comprehension (Gambrell & Dromsky, 2000).

Detail B: children should be provided with lots of practicing books at the right time.

Detail C: Teachers, parents, and guardians should regularly talk to children about their reading.

Transitional sentence:

Comprehension skills in children can be developed through various strategies.

Supporting paragraph 2 (Subtopic 2).

To increase vocabulary.

Detail A: Vocabulary can be used in improving communication in areas in listening, speaking, reading, and writing (Gamble, 2019).

Detail B: Vocabulary can be used in predicting the reading performance of the child (Potocki et al., 2021).

Detail C: The growth of vocabulary is correlated with school performance.

Transitional sentence:

The importance of vocabulary in children is reflected on how it can be used to improve communication in areas like speaking, reading, listening, and writing.

Supporting paragraph 3 (Subtopic 3)

Expose the child to a new world of fantasy.

Detail A: When a child reads regularly, the optimal patterns of brain development are stimulated.

Detail B: Reading captures the imagination of children through adventures, characters, and illustration (Kohm et al., 2016).

Detail C: children are able to improve their social skills as they relate to the characters of the books they are reading.

Transitional Sentence:

There is a link between reading and children’s imagination, social play, and social interactions.

Conclusion

The importance of reading in children can be highlighted on the various benefits like the improvement of the child’s communication skills, improving their vocabulary, and exposing the child to new worlds of fantasy.

Comprehensive skills allow the child to develop their communication skills like reading and speaking. This is important as the child grows faster and is able to communicate fluently. The same applies in vocabulary in children. Studies have highlighted the importance of vocabulary in the overall performance of the child. Reading also expands the child’s imagination making it easier for the child to connect with their peers.

Final remarks:

Reading is important for the development of children. However, most countries are still behind in encouraging reading in children making it impossible for the children to benefit from reading. Implementing strategies for encouraging reading in children will ensure they develop their minds.

References

Gambrell, L. B., & Dromsky, A. (2000). Fostering reading comprehension. Beginning reading and writing, 143-153.

Gamble Nikki. (2019). Exploring Children′ s Literature: Reading for Knowledge, Understanding and Pleasure. Sage Publication Ltd.

Kohm, K. E., Holmes, R. M., Romeo, L., & Koolidge, L. (2016). The connection between shared storybook readings, children’s imagination, social interactions, affect, prosocial behavior, and social play. International Journal of Play, 5(2), 128-140.

Potocki, A., Chailleux, M., Gimenes, M., & Pylouster, J. (2021). ProVoc: An app to train vocabulary depth in order to foster children’s reading comprehension. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 37(5), 1324-1335.