Written primarily for use in instructional methods courses, Teaching for Thinking offers education professors and students sound guidelines for designing and implementing teaching techniques which emphasize critical thinking skills across the curriculum. Hester defines and uses a consistent conception of "critical thinking" and offers a concise definition of mirco-critical thinking skills. It teaches critical thinking form a developmental approach, stressing the importance of teaching concepts. It also offers practical advice, such as outlining the use of problem solving procedures with concrete, transitional, and formal thinkers, and showing the reader how to organize a school or classroom for "teaching thinking."

Part One focuses on creating a conceptual base for thinking, called the "Effective Thinking Skills Model," that incorporates a developmental approach to critical thinking skills development along with mastery of teaching principals. Part Two lays each part of the "Effective Thinking Skills Model" out for teacher understanding and application to classroom practices. Part Three offers practical advice on dealing with organizing the school and the class for "teaching thinking."