Our six main Thinking Skills strategies are:

• Thinking Hats
• Thinking Maps
• Building Learning Power (BLP)
• Using Questions
• Plan - Do - Reflect Cycle
• Taking Responsibility for Our Learning - 'Learning to Learn'

Thinking Hats

To break down an argument and focus on aspects of content without fear of failure. Children ‘imagine’ putting on (or in earlier year, might actually wear) a coloured hat to help them focus their thinking on a given subject eg; during a debate about school uniform.

When might we use this strategy in our teaching?

To introduce a topic, during an investigation or discussion, debating an argument, reinforcing pupils learning during a lesson.

When might children use this strategy in their learning?

Evaluating their learning, expressing their feelings, problem solving, group work.

Thinking Maps

When might we use this strategy in our teaching?

Planning & assessment tool, for differentiating work, inclusion especially in group work.

When might children use this strategy in their learning?

Comparing, revising, researching, recording, planning

• Circle Map -for defining context.
• Bubble Map - for describing with adjectives
• Flow Map -  for sequencing and ordering.
• Double Bubble Map - for comparing and contrasting
• Multi-Flow Map - for analyzing causes and effects.
• Brace Map - for identifying part/whole relationships
• Bridge Map - for seeing analogies.
• Tree Map - for classifying/grouping.

Building Learning Power (BLP)

• Resilience: being able to focus when learning becomes difficult and staying engaged despite distractions;
• Resourcefulness: being aware of a range of strategies and resources & knowing which is best to solve a given problem;
• Reflectiveness: being able look at what you did & say how it went & how you could do it better next time;
• Reciprocity: being able to share ideas and work effectively in groups of differing sizes.

In school we have changed the ‘4 Rs’ into more child friendly words and phrases.

Using Questions

To develop higher level thinking, To challenge pupils with more rigorous questions, To improve engagement of pupils. There is a hierarchy of questioning skills; the simplest level is ‘Knowledge’ (What colour is the dog? Does chocolate melt in the sun?) Answers are definite and simple, often yes or no. The ‘highest level’ of question is Evaluation. These questions require complex answers and need the child to draw information from a variety of sources and experiences. By moving towards higher level questions, learners are required to think ‘more’ and use their knowledge and previous experiences and therefore subsequent learning is more powerful and effective. However it doesn’t necessarily follow that Reception children use ‘Knowledge’ questions and Year 6 children answer ‘Evaluation’ questions. This is about a hierarchy of question types – it is very possible for Reception children to answer simplified ‘Evaluation’ questions.

Knowledge (Lower order thinking)

Comprehension

Application

Analysis

Synthesis

Evaluation (Higher order thinking)

Plan - Do - Reflect Cycle

Children frequently use this simple cycle plan for planning and reviewing or evaluating their work. It's dead simple and is a good way of raising awareness of how we work, how effective this is and how we can always improve. Yes it's a simple flow diagram but actually it's more of a habit of mind and a process of working through an activity.

The Learning Cycle

Taking Responsibility for Our Learning - 'Learning to Learn'

Think about it...How could you learn better?  7 Questions to help.

1. What have you learned today?
2. How can you help yourself to learn better?
3. Did you know before you read this that you can IMPROVE how well you learn?
4. What stops you from learning?
5. What do you do when you get stuck?
6. What are you doing when you learn best?
7. What is the noise level like in your classroom when you learn best?

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Helpful websites, what we do and how we learn in.....

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