Teaching the Metacognitive Process

What is a Think Aloud?

  • Introducing, explaining and defining strategy components

With a partner, have students predict what they think the strategy means

The teacher explains and defines each strategy component

Then the teacher provides specific texts the class has read to illustrate or demonstrate what each component means and how to apply them

  • Noticing and applying strategy components

Now the teacher will model the strategy and its components through a read aloud

Identify the strategy that you use as you go through the story

Make you sure you stop and ask students to answer comprehension questions, asking them to “explain” their answer (using “Classroom conversation”)

  • Clarifying strategy purpose

As you wrap up the read aloud, restate the purpose of the think aloud and clarify the strategy you just taught and its purpose

What is a Refining a Strategy?

Continue modeling the strategies introduced and continue pointing out the components of the strategies. Teachers must help students understand the component of using the correct strategy/strategies at the optimal moment to help with comprehension.

When do you use them?

How do they help you?

Why should you use them?

Why did you choose that strategy?

Why do you think I chose this strategy?

Would ______strategy help you more in this situation? Why or Why not?

What do you meanApply the Strategy?

We need to push students beyond just “knowing” the strategy to the actual “use” of the strategy. They may be reluctant to do so.

With us guiding them, supporting them, they will begin to feel more comfortable and familiar with the strategies we have taught.

We must help them use the strategies in other content areas, NOT just reading.

We can have powerful conversations with the students about when and where to apply different strategies. When we do NOT have these discussions, we are making assumptions about our students.

Students need time and practice in order to really understand what we are asking them to do.

Why should students Self-Assess and Set Goals?

  • Help students keep track of how often they are using strategies through a “tally-sheet”.
  • After a couple of weeks, have them look over this tally sheet and think about what they have learned, what is working, what they still don’t really understand.
  • As adults, if we have NO purpose for something, do we continue to do it? NO!! Why do we think kids are different? They want a target or a goal. Look at all of the video games they play!
  • We want to begin to see students using the strategies we have taught on their own, during silent reading time or in other content areas. If they aren’t, we need to go back and find out why…
  • Isn’t that OUR GOAL as teachers?? Thatstudents’apply what we have taught?