Thinking Moves A-Z: Metacognition Made Simple

Product Information

When we talk about the progression of mathematical understanding we have a shared language. We all understand what it means to engage in addition and subtraction. Phonics, science . . . all areas of learning have a common linguistic foundation. Thinking Moves A – Z is a vocabulary of 26 types of thinking. The Moves are understandable, comprehensive and memorable. They make metacognition simple for teachers and learners, bringing big benefits in school and everyday life. Watch this video to learn more…

Stephen Walshe is the Co-Principal of the Fortune Kindergarten in Shanghai, and an accredited Thinking Moves trainer. Moreover, after a while, even very young students begin to understand that the Moves are connected, and we can then look at Thinking Grooves. We have always been a leading provider of training in Philosophy for Children (P4C) in the UK, but we are now partnering organisations in four continents to promote our unique approach to teaching and learning: ‘ P4C Plus’. I use Thinking Moves in my essay planning. I DIVIDE and CONNECT points for/against. I WEIGH UP and JUSTIFY in assess questions. I use KEYWORD, GROUP, and EXEMPLIFY in my revision when making flashcards for different questions. I also use ZOOM IN / OUT and SIZE when writing about issues going from a local to a national or international scale.Students at Sandringham Primary, Newham, London could remember all 26 Thinking Moves in their very first session with facilitator, Paul Kell Within our maths enhancements we use the maths QUEST approach. A session begins with a Question, e.g. “How many will we have if we add one more to this group?” Children Use their mathematical understanding and Explain what they will need to do to solve the problem. The answer is Sized, “Are there more or less now?”, and then this is Tested to establish the consistency of the answer. Maths QUESTs now underpin our mathematical enhancements, allowing children to consciously use maths and metacognition simultaneously. 5. Embed within progression planning She also said that in Chinese IB classes they were using Thinking Moves in their Theory of Knowledge (TOK) classes. After a little modelling such as that described above, it was over to our ATs to make their own connections between the A-Z and the curriculum, and they rose to the challenge wonderfully well.

There is also a Thinking Moves Sign Language. Children love movement that is meaningful and connects to what they are learning. The most intriguing thing about introducing Sign Language to assist children use, notice, and identify their thinking moves and the moves others make, is how readily and naturally the children take to signing. The idea that this is another language, a language that people who have hearing problems use for communication, really captures the children’s imagination and attention. Connecting the Moves From the second we are born we begin to learn. Our brain begins to create physical, and metaphorical, connections and doesn’t stop. By the time a child reaches age three, their brains, thoughts, knowledge and curiosity, are a whole world away from where they were just 36 months earlier. Can any of you truly say that in the last 36 months you have learnt as much or as rapidly as those children did from birth to three? I certainly can’t.When looking at the curriculum and skill progression across the school, it has been helpful to consider which Thinking Moves explicitly support advancement. For children to progress in their acquisition of new concepts, they need to know clearly how to access their learning. Within our planning and assessment systems, areas of metacognitive focus have been identified. Year 3 students at Bunscoill Rhumsaa in the Isle of Man used Thinking Moves to plan speeches about their favourite predator. The thing I love most about Thinking Moves is that it enables my pupils to take control of their own learning and access learning opportunities independently. Once they are familiar with the 26 different ways of thinking (and their innumerable synonyms), pupils spontaneously use this knowledge to independently apply all types of thinking to all scenarios of their studies. To me, Thinking Moves A to Z is emphatically empowering!” - KS2 Class Teacher, Liverpool Following a recent Thinking Moves training, the International Baccalaureate coordinator at Wuxi United International School (WUIS), in China, returned to her school and began introducing the Thinking Moves in English and Chinese classes in middle and upper School.

Comprehensive. All cognitive moves (that Roger is aware of!) are encompassed in the A-Z. They are applicable across all areas of the curriculum and all phases from early years to secondary. And they are just as useful in everyday life as they are in school. However, when it comes to the skills of thinking and learning, there is no common language and the concepts are shrouded in misconception. Do children learn visually, kinaesthetically . . . ? Are there different levels to learning? Based on the belief that we are all thinking and learning all of the time, Thinking Moves has been implemented at Alfreton Nursery School. Thinking Moves provides the language to explain the process of thinking and has thus provided a common framework on which to master learning. 1. Develop and model a shared vocabulary Research by the Education Endowment Foundation has shown that effective strategies for metacognition and self-regulation: I have found them useful in understanding how information can be applied into exam answers and broken down into categories, such as ZOOMING OUT to get the wider picture or ZOOMING IN to focus on specific details. My teacher prompts us in class but I find myself using them independently in other subjects and in my revision.Our strategies and techniques support the development of more reflective and skilful teachers and learners, who listen carefully and critically to each other, and form better judgments, both in and out of the classroom. DialogueWorks is an educational company that has specialised for nearly 30 years in the advancement of more thoughtful pedagogy. Enrichment training is minimally another 6 hours for whole schools, usually about 6 months after the Foundation course, but, to help you consolidate Thinking Moves across your curriculum and beyond, it is recommended to include support between the courses. The support usually consists of at least: They make you think more in depth and make your notes and writing more memorable and make them more interesting.