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How Can We Help Our Students Develop Metacognitive Skills?

Thinking about thinking sounds complicated. But metacognition, while it sounds complex, is actually a basic learning strategy that involves connecting new and old knowledge, choosing thinking strategies and monitoring the way we think and learn. Mastering metacognition greatly enhances children's ability to learn complex concepts by teaching them to identify which learning strategies work for them and to recognize when they've learned something new. Teaching students a few metacognitive techniques increases their chances of academic achievement.

Instructions

- 1
  Encourage students to ask questions. This helps students recognize when they don't fully understand a concept.
- 2
  Teach students how to self-test. Instruct students to quiz themselves and use flashcards to study for tests or exams.
- 3
  Discuss topics with students rather than just lecturing them. Conversations allow students to hear multiple perspectives on a single topic.
- 4
  Encourage note-taking during class. Students will learn to identify important ideas.
- 5
  Assign tasks that involve summarizing. Review the topic and ask students to revise their summaries to reflect any information they missed the first time around.

Teaching Strategies for Using Summarizing for Comprehension

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K-12 For Educators