Alumni Spotlight on Michael Baker and the Critical Thinking Company

The Alumni Spotlight is a periodic feature on the official Mom’s Choice Awards® blog. It is part of our ongoing effort to “shine the spotlight” on you and your award-winning, family-friendly products, services, and media.

Fifty years ago, Michael Baker’s grandfather, John had an idea: he founded Midwest Publications. The company produced math and textbooks that combined powerful logic with high educational standards. The company now called The Critical Thinking Co.™, remains family owned. The company boasts more than 200 titles to help students with math, reading, writing, science, and history.

MCA: Can you please tell us about the inspiration for your Building Thinking Skills® software?
Michael: We take great pride in igniting a passion for thinking and problem solving. Building Thinking Skills® software was inspired by our bestselling activity book – the #1 selling thinking skills program in the world. Customers inquired about a software version for years. Dr. Cognito, the main character, was envisioned by our creative software team.

MCA: What are your goals for Building Thinking Skills Level 2 in the next year?

Michael: We want to introduce the software to more public schools throughout the United States. We also hope to launch a subscription portal, including Building Thinking Skills® software and many others, so customers may play on demand via the Internet.

MCA: If someone gave you air time for a 15-second commercial, how would you entice people to try the Building Thinking Skills® software?

Michael: Recently honored with a Dr. Toy and Mom’s Choice Award®, Building Thinking Skills® software helps kids build the confidence to succeed in school and in life. The arcade-style software game provides highly effective verbal and nonverbal reasoning activities to improve vocabulary, reading, writing, math, logic, and figural spatial skills, as well as visual and auditory processing. This exceptional computer delivered skill set provides a solid foundation for academic excellence and success on any assessment test. In the educational software adventure, players become critical thinkers by completing verbal and figural activities in each of the 10 underground levels to rescue Dr. Cognito and restore order to the lab.

MCA: You started with an idea and now have a successful, multi-award-winning product. Looking back on your journey, what was the easiest part? The hardest? What surprised you the most?
Michael: With 10 levels and tons of different activity types, the software was not easy to develop. Due to the diverse nature of the content, coming up with a unifying theme was also challenging. During our research, we were surprised to see that our competitors used so few activity types, since the more diverse the activities, the more engaged the player, typically.

MCA: Since launching the Building Thinking Skills product, what has been your most rewarding experience in promoting or sharing it with the public? Do you have a favorite memory?

Michael: The fact that the software instantly became a top seller is thoroughly rewarding, though we really love the fact that kids with diverse abilities enjoy the software. My favorite memory is about a child on the Autism spectrum. His mother said he had a brilliant mind for facts and figures, but always struggled with his thought process. In her testimonial, she said that Building Thinking Skills had given him solid direction in organizing his thoughts and following logical patterns.

“The progress my son has made in barely one year is incredible. No therapy or modification has come close to having such an impact in the 6 years since his diagnosis. There are no words to express how thankful we are for The Critical Thinking Co.”

MCA: Could you please tell us why you chose the Mom’s Choice Awards® program in seeking recognition for Building Thinking Skills®?
Michael: Mothers rule the marketplace. The Mom’s Choice Awards® program has been leading thoughtful moms to great products for years!

MCA: What does it mean to you to be a Mom’s Choice Awards® alumnus?
Michael: It means we are among a prestigious group of publishers and our material provides incredible value for families.

MCA: What did you learn about yourself in the process of creating your award-winning product?

Michael: We frequently underestimate our deadlines.

MCA: Would you recommend the Mom’s Choice Awards® to other entrepreneurs? If so, why?
Michael: Yes, there are only a handful of truly meaningful awards in the education market, the Mom’s Choice Awards® is one publishers should not miss.

MCA: How have you/your company benefited by being a Mom’s Choice Awards® honoree? Do you have any tangible examples?
Michael: We’ve had several customers comment on the award over the phone and when ordering. We know the awards helps close sales and reassure customers of our value.

Mom’s Choice Awards® Honors

Building Thinking Skills Level 2
The Critical Thinking Co™

Gold Recipient – Grades 4 to 6, software

Social Networking Contacts for The Critical Thinking Co.™