Learn the 14 skills of critical thinking

According to an article by Joe Old in 1998 (Link) there are fourteen skills students need to develop to become excellent at critical thinking.

These are:
* prioritize things
* identify purpose in things they read
* determine consequences (especially when they are unstated)
* determine effects
* identify bias
* identify assumptions
* draw conclusions
* make contrasts and comparisons
* do syntheses
* develop hypotheses (and test them)
* use figurative language
* make critiques
* make summaries
* make evaluations

If you focus on a few of these at a time, and get better at them, you will become better at critical thinking overall.