What are the kinds of questions, thinking, activities, and inquiries that are essential in:
The investigation of a subject (research)
And comprehending the written word
Some time ago a fellow named Benjamin Bloom from the University of Chicago wanted to create a system that described how people process, organize and coordinate their thinking and the purposes for which they do it.
Bloom came up with a system that is comprised of, what we call today, lower level thinking skills and higher level thinking skills. The labels are somewhat misleading, because whether higher or lower, the thinking skills are interdependent and no single skill is more important than another. In addition, the system is dynamic and builds on itself. The higher level skills contain all the lower level skills, and the lower level skills are important or relevant only in so much as they are utilized in higher level thinking. An increase in the abilities associated with any given level will provide for the growth of any or all of the other levels.
Bloom identified six levels of thinking, their related skills, and their associated base of relevant questions to be used for inquiry. There are three "lower" level skills, and three "higher" level skills.
Lower Level Thinking Skills
Knowledge
Comprehension
Application (Problem Solving)
Higher Level Thinking Skills
Analysis
Creative Thinking (Synthesis)
Critical Thinking (Evaluation)
Understanding the levels of thinking and questioning in "Bloom's Taxonomy" will allow you to develop your research into subjects both deeply and broadly; that is, covering many topics or areas, and going into depth of detail, support, reasoning, and other forms of elaboration.
The same holds true for your reading comprehension. Applying different levels of thinking and questioning to your reading will allow you to recall what you've read more accurately, to organize and develop facts both in and beyond what is written in the text, and to extend your comprehension of the text into new and creative ideas or endeavors. This is what accomplished readers do.
