Teaching Students to Think About Thinking

Metacognition, or thinking about one's thinking, is the core literacy of lifelong learners. When students have the skills to process and refine how they are learning, judiciously applying strategies and analyzing mistakes, they have the keys to self-directed growth. In this issue, unpack the theories and practices behind the process.

Features

How Did You Solve It? Metacognition in Mathematics

Sam Rhodes

Math relies on metacognition. Strategies like journaling and recording during the problem-solving process help students monitor and regulate their thinking.

Tips for Building Metacognitive Muscle

Craig Simmons

Through reading comprehension strategies and open-ended questions in science, this teacher draws back the curtain on student thinking.

The Student Who Taught Me the Power of Metacognition

Martha Palm

Reflecting on background knowledge, learning from mistakes, and engaging in productive struggle builds metacognitive awareness in students and supercharges your teaching.

Making Deep Thinking the Norm

Miriam Plotinsky

These steps shift the learning culture away from compliance and toward contemplation.

More On This Topic

"The Boss of My Brain"

Donna Wilson and Marcus Conyers

Explicit instruction in metacognition puts students in charge of their learning.

Developing the Language of Thinking

Jeff Zwiers

Classroom tactics to help English language learners—and their classmates—understand academic vocabulary and concepts.

Reflective Writing Activities: Fostering Metacognitive Awareness for Learning Transfer

Sarah C. Johnson

Using writing as a way for students to reflect on their learning supports the metacognition that leads to deep learning transfer. Here's how to create regular, low stakes, and informal opportunities for students to reflect in writing.

Apprenticing Students into a Way of Thinking (Video)

Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey

Three strategies to help students develop problem-solving mental habits.

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