The Effectiveness of Using Divergent Thinking Strategies in Developing Critical Reading Skills of the Preparatory Stage Students By- Dr.Salwa Hassan Mohamed Basal The presents study investigated the effectiveness of using divergent thinking strategies in developing critical reading skills of the of the first-grade preparatory stage students. The participants of the study were (70) first-grade prep stage students, randomly chosen from tow of Sharkia Governorate schools. They were divided into two groups with (35) students per one; an experimental group and a control one. The researcher prepared a test of critical reading skills to measure the critical reading skills of the first-grade students and teacher's guide with student book to teach critical reading via divergent thinking strategies. The instruments were pre-post- administered to investigate the effectiveness of the divergent thinking strategies in developing critical reading skills of the first-grade preparatory stage students. Then, the obtained results were submitted to the convenient statistical methods to be analyzed and to verify the study hypotheses. Results of the research The current research showed the following results: -There was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the control group and the experimental group in the post-administration of the critical reading skills test as a whole favoring experimental group. -There was a statistically significant difference between the mean scores of the experimental group in the pre-and the post-administration of the critical reading skills test as a whole and in each skill favoring the post administration; except for the eighth skill, namely, " Concluding the connotations in the context "; the difference between the two administrations is not statistically significant. - Utilizing divergent thinking strategies has a positive to effect on developing critical reading skills of the experimental group students Recommendations of the research The current research recommended: - The importance of developing critical reading skills holistically for all Arabic language learners in all educational stages, since it is indispensable to read in public life and the need to create a critical vision for learners help them to distinguish between the good and bad in their readings of all branches and forms of knowledge - The necessity for encouraging learners to use divergent thinking strategies in order to face obstacles facing their learning and training them to practice and apply what they learned and experienced in other different learning situations. Keywords: Divergent Thinking, Critical Reading, Preparatory Stage Student.