Follow the link to find out more: www.thinkingmatters.com
At Cloudside Academy the whole community have been working to develop ways of embedding thinking into the curriculum. As a thinking school, we use evidence to develop a whole school approach to developing children’s cognitive capability and intelligent learning behaviours. We make thinking explicit so children know how to better organise and access their thoughts. This approach runs through all aspects of our school life and leads to better outcomes for all our children. Being a thinking school means taking a cognitive approach to all aspects of learning.
Cognition is the name given to the process of gaining knowledge through thought, experience and the senses. At Cloudside we have carefully constructed our curriculum to promote all aspects of cognition. We provide enriching experiences in all subjects so learners gain the most out of every learning opportunity.
Metacognition is the process of thinking about thinking. This process allows learners and teachers to make the thinking process explicit. Metacognition is intentional thinking. This can be seen in our curriculum through the activation of prior knowledge at the start of every lesson; the use of questioning to deepen the knowledge of learners; organising thinking in clear and meaningful ways and reviewing knowledge in light of what this means in the real world. This cycle can be seen in every lesson.
Have you ever felt like you can’t possibly take in any more information? This is cognitive overload. Children’s brains are growing all the time, building new connections and assimilating new knowledge. Whilst this never stops, our ability to make new connections declines as we age. Cognitive overload can happen when too much information is presented at once or too many tasks are presented. At Cloudside, we have carefully constructed our curriculum into units of study that have links between them to maximise children’s ability to remember and make links. Teachers consider the most efficient ways of presenting information for children in the sequence of lessons so prior knowledge is built on and new knowledge is processed and remembered. Teachers manage the cognitive load of children in each lesson by using research based tools.
At Cloudside, we use thinking frames to support children to think in organised and logical ways across all areas of the curriculum. Arranging information and ideas in this way supports children to see new information through different lenses and therefore creates a deeper understanding of the learning.
Teachers consider visible thinking strategies that are highly motivating and promote engagement. This reduces the cognitive load and promotes active learning.
The question matrix provides challenge for children and helps them think more deeply about the subject knowledge and skills. Supporting children to use and engage with different levels of questions enables them to remember more.
The habits of mind are important learning habits that support children to be ready to engage with lessons and each other! These skills are recognised as important learning at Cloudside and enable our children to be excellent communicators and champions of their own learning.
Using the tools of learning means that lessons are organised in a predictable, cognitively manageable and exciting way so children are free to engage in business of thinking. These approaches support all learners including those with SEND barriers such as Autism, dyslexia or difficulties with cognition and learning.
