This paper explores the readiness of Polish primary school students (Grade 7, age 14) to engage in critical thinking within the context of mathematical proof tasks. The study investigates how students construct arguments, justify their reasoning, and respond to non-standard problems in geometry that require more than procedural fluency.

Data was collected both before the COVID-19 pandemic and in 2022, after students returned to in-person learning. This dual perspective offers insights into how prolonged remote education may have influenced students’ cognitive engagement and reasoning strategies.

Rather than focusing solely on difficulties, the paper highlights students’ emerging dispositions toward critical thinking and reflects on the role of teaching practices and classroom organization in fostering such skills. Examples of promising student responses and teacher strategies are presented, pointing toward practical ways of supporting critical thinking in early secondary mathematics education.

The study contributes to the broader conversation about reasoning, justification, and mathematical argumentation in middle school settings, offering ideas for how to nurture students’ analytical capacities from an early stage.

Keywords: Thinking Skills, critical thinking, problem solving, task analysis, geometry.