Bridgelea Primary SchoolMetacognition & Thinking School Development
We are currently working towards a Thinking School Accreditation. We are working hard to embed a whole school approach resulting in a common language and framework that enable children to talk explicitly about thinking and to understand there are different kinds of thinking. We have introduced eight thinking maps that are used to help children organise their thinking, whether it be in story planning, classifying and sorting information, understanding relationships or considering cause and effect. The next stage is to introduce the 16 habits of mind which develop the skills and attitudes necessary for life-long learning. Children are encouraged to reflect on their learning, identify their thinking strengths and areas for improvement, set themselves goals, and celebrate their successes.
What is a Thinking School?
- A Thinking School is one in which teachers and pupils have a deep understanding of how to learn and think effectively.
What are Thinking Frames?
- The thinking frames consist of eight maps that correspond with fundamental thinking processes. These frames are a “common visual language” for all pupils in all subject areas. ?
- Thinking frames are a tool that we use with our children to help them organise their thinking.
How do we do this?
- Explicit teaching of metacognitive strategies
- Teachers modelling their own thinking to demonstrate metacognitive strategies
- Opportunities for pupils to reflect on and monitor their strengths and areas of improvement, and plan how to overcome current difficulties.
- Providing enough challenge for learners to develop effective strategies, but not so difficult that they struggle to apply a strategy.
