Thinking Skills

Sharing vision and implementing change

Subject development tasks for subject leaders and their teams, to help ensure successful sharing and implementation of a subject vision

Developing ‘effective participators’ using Open Space Technology

This issue we look at a technique known as Open Space Technology – another form of cooperative investigation that can be used to encourage students to engage actively with the issues that effect them

Developing ‘effective participators’ using the World Café

In this series looking at 'effective participators', in this issue we look at a technique known as the World Café – another form of cooperative investigation that can be used to encourage students to engage actively with the issues that affect them

Developing ‘effective participators’ using Appreciative Inquiry

This week we will look at an approach known as Appreciative Inquiry – another form of cooperative investigation that can be used to encourage students to engage actively with the issues that affect them

Developing ‘effective participators’ using Narrative Enquiry

This e-bulletin continues our focus on developing 'effective participators'. This issue we look at Narrative Enquiry – a form of cooperative investigation that can be used with students, staff, parents, governors to encourage active exploration of the issues that affect them

'Learning for transfer' - Hugging and Bridging

We are currently looking at the crucial role of metacognitive plenaries in helping our students to develop a more reflective mindset. Last time we looked at some activities designed to introduce the concept of metacognition – or 'thinking about thinking' – to young learners. In this bulletin we will look further at the idea of helping students to 'learn for transfer'

'Learning for transfer' - activities for developing an ‘inner voice’ to monitor thinking

This e-bulletin and the next will be looking at the crucial role of metacognitive plenaries in helping our students 'learn for transfer'

Effective debriefing: making thinking and learning skills visible

This bulletin provides an overview of what is meant by effective ‘debriefing’ – an essential skill for any practitioner who wishes to generate conversations about learning in their classroom

Exploring emotional resourcefulness: activities for developing empathy

This issue we continue to look at practical activities that can be used to help young people explore the idea of 'emotional resourcefulness', focusing on helping students to become increasingly sensitive to other people’s feelings and perceptions

Exploring light and dark with early years

Linda Thornton and Pat Brunton discuss the benefits of playing with light and dark with early years children, offering thinking skills activity ideas

Building a self-concept: positive reframing

The activities shared this week are designed to help students become more aware of the blocks and limiting beliefs that get in the way of that potential, and how these are often reflected and reinforced by the language we use

Building a positive self-concept: emotional resourcefulness

We continue to look at practical activities that can be used to help young people explore the idea of 'emotional resourcefulness', that is, the capacity for self-knowledge and understanding – and the ability to make the best use of that understanding

Developing students as ‘self-managers': further exploration of 'emotional resourcefulness'

Anne de A'Echevarria looks at more practical activities that can be used to help young people explore the idea of 'emotional resourcefulness' in the context of young learners' self-management, using Emotion Concept Line; Recipes; Emotional Swap

Developing students as ‘self-managers': a practical activity

Anne de A'Echevarria looks at practical activities that can be used to help young people explore the idea of 'emotional resourcefulness' in the context of young learners' self-management, using a circle diagram

Introducing the skills and dispositions of self-management

Help young learners to start thinking and talking about the concept of 'self-management', and thereby begin to uncover for themselves the skills and dispositions involved

Integrating sports psychology into PE

Integrating sports psychology into the PE curriculum can increase motivation and improve performance, with benefits for students and the wider community. Lisa Symonds discusses and outlines ready-to-use motivation exercises

Assessing creative development: the ICEDIP model

Learning and Thinking Skills looks at a range of different ways of assessing students' creative development, and engaging students in that process, including Geoff Petty's model of creativity

Child initiated learning

Jenni Clarke, early years consultant and author, looks at the importance of practitioners' planning to support young children's self-initiated learning

Creative thinking in the classroom: learning how to analyse

Learning and Thinking Skills explains a strategy to teach the thinking skill of analysis to pupils across all subject areas, including downloadable examples of the strategy in use

Developing creative thinking further

To encourage creative thinking further, these strategies are designed to help students expand and develop their initial ideas by encouraging them to see new possibilities through playful experiment and discussion

Creative thinking tools for the classroom: Concept Fan, Morphology

Anne de A'Echevarria looks at two more some practical 'creative thinking tools' for classroom use

Creative thinking tools for the classroom: Kick Cards, The Inverse, Double Six

Anne de A'Echevarria looks at three practical 'creative thinking tools' for classroom use

Creativity: promoting discussion through a Concept Line activity

Learning and Thinking Skills looks at activities that can be used to initiate dialogue about creativity between staff and students

Encouraging creative thinkers: working across the curriculum

Creative thinking is Anne de A’Echevarria's new focus within her exploration of the QCA Personal Learning and Thinking Skills framework — in this issue particularly focusing on staff working together to encourage creative thinkers across the curriculum

How to develop independent student learning

Does combining SEAL, Philosophy for Children (P4C) and thinking skills seem like a recipe for effective independent student learning? If so, read Kate Mawer's description of William Parker School's curriculum development for Year 7s

Develop your pupils' empathy skills

Developing your pupils' empathy can be an effective way to improve their behaviour. Dave Stott discusses, offering practical tips

Philosophy for Children (P4C)

Hanneke Jones looks at the Philosophy for Children method of introducing thinking skills. This method of learning, developed by SAPERE, develops cognitive skills and philosophical methods

Philosophy for Children: intergenerational dialogue

The Philosophy for Children programme has great potential benefits for intergenerational dialogue. Michelle Whiteworth, coordinator of Age Concerns' intergenerational project in North Tyneside, discusses those benefits for pupils — and also the challenges

Developing pupils' social skills to improve teamwork: part 2

This Learning and Thinking Skills completes the focus on a structured apporach to social skill development, based on the QCA’s Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills strand, ‘Team Workers'

Developing pupils' social skills to improve teamwork: part 1

Pupils' social skill development is the focus of Anne de A’Echevarria's third e-bulletin on pupil team work, core to the QCA’s Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills framework

Developing primary thinking skills with cricket

PE lesson plans are offered here by Crispin Andrews, who believes that striking and fielding activities can develop children's thinking skills. The lesson plans for sport (cricket) are aimed at primary students in years 3 to 6

Learning logs to encourage reflective learning

Introducing learning logs can help pupils to reflect on their learning by identifying their attainment and progress says Steve Gibson, director of music and public performance at Carmel RC College, Darlington

Deep learning: structuring a coherent approach

How does your school approach 'learning to learn'? A bit of 'accelerated learning', a few 'thinking skills', some 'emotional intelligence' and a commitment to 'assessment for learning' for good measure? The QCA has acknowledged that schools need a coherent, consistent approach to learning - Graham Powell examines how to do it

Young children's thinking skills activity

This free teaching activity for primary school children will encourage their thinking skills, specifically encouraging active thinking and imagination

Download now

Cooperative learning approaches for developing team workers

Anne de A’Echevarria explores Kagan’s Cooperative Learning pedagogy as part of her in-depth focus on the ‘Team Workers' strand of the QCA’s Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills framework

Improving your pupils' thinking skills

Are your pupils thinking? Lynn Cousins looks at practical ways headteachers can encourage thinking skills in the classroom

Developing thinking skills

Using thinking skills across the curriculum can be an effective way to boost learning. Anne-Louise Gibbon describes her experiences of developing thinking skills activities as part of a school working party

Developing independent enquirers: summary and recap

This issue places the idea of developing 'independent enquirers' within the broader context of 'Learning to Learn'. As she concludes her series on enquiry for young learners, Anne de A'Echevarria offers a checklist of talking points for colleagues who are currently engaged with enquiry-based approaches

Fostering thinking skills in early years

Jenni Clarke offers some practical suggestions on how to encourage young children to think

Exploring subject-specific enquiry skills

In this e-bulletin, Anne de A'Echevarria looks at how to help pupils explore what enquiry looks like in different subject areas across the curriculum

Investigating decision making as an integral part of enquiry

Decision making is the focus of this week's Learning and Thinking Skills, as we continue our exploration of developing 'independent enquirers’

An enquiry tool for evaluating information

How can you help students evaluate information effectively? Anne de A'Echevarria provides some answers as part of our in-depth focus on developing ‘independent enquirers’ – the first of the six areas of the QCA’s Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills framework

Enquiry tools for organising and making sense of information

Now looking at the value of enquiry tools when organising and making sense of information, Anne de A'Echevarria continues to explore the process of developing ‘independent enquirers’ in Learning and Thinking Skills

Enquiry tools for promoting emotional engagement and ownership

This e-bulletin focuses on thinking tools for promoting emotional engagement and ownership - again focusing on the first of the six areas of the QCA’s Personal, Learning and Thinking Skills framework, developing ‘independent enquirers’

Developing independent enquirers: introducing enquiry

This Learning and Thinking Skills provides suggestions of how to introduce the idea of enquiry to young learners using practical ideas and classroom resources, as the first in our series taking an in-depth focus on developing ‘independent enquirers’ - the first of the six skill areas of the PLTS framework

Area

Your Role

Thinking Skills