Metacognition training

Why is metacognition important?

Research by the Education Endowment Foundation has shown that effective strategies for metacognition and self-regulation:

are very high impact for very low cost based on extensive evidence
can be worth the equivalent of an additional +7 months’ progress when used well
can motivate pupils to engage in, and improve, their learning.
can be particularly effective for low achieving and disadvantaged pupils.

Thinking Moves A – Z supports every step of the EEF’s recommended framework for metacognition and self-regulated learning.

What is "Thinking Moves A-Z"?

“Stunningly simple, yet remarkably rich.”

Thinking Moves is the easiest way to embed metacognition across all subjects.

It’s a framework for teaching thinking out loud: 26 distinct acts of thinking organised in a memorable A-Z - a periodic table of thinking.

Thinking Moves gives children a vocabulary for their thinking. Help them:

become aware of their own thinking, and that of others
take greater responsibility for their learning
choose the right moves at the right time

The A-Z presents the fundamental building blocks of thinking - rather than long-term dispositions or character traits.

Understandable. Comprehensive. And most importantly, memorable.

"The impact of metacognition in school has been profound."

Thinking Moves was initially introduced into our school curriculum in autumn 2019 and we now have it fully embedded into all tiers of school life. The impact of metacognition in school has been profound. Communication and thinking strategies are now delivered with conscious intent, and children aged 3 and 4 are using these moves to own and manipulate their learning. Data analysis provided evidence by July 2021 that areas of the curriculum with a Thinking Moves foundation saw greater rates of progress. This has led to the roll out of Thinking Moves across the whole curriculum.

Gradually it became clear that mathematical skills progression was being facilitated by the conscious application of metacognition. As data below evidences, fewer children struggled to move beyond barriers to learning in maths than in other areas.

The language of Thinking Moves has become part of discourse in school. The subtle interplay between cognition and emotion has enabled staff to seamlessly manipulate metacognition into a tool to support emotional regulation and prosocial behaviour. This means that metacognition is not seen simply as twenty-six petals to sprinkle throughout a lesson, but instead metacognition is seen as the roots that anchor all interactions. The way we think, speak to each other, behave with each other, use materials, interact with the world . . . is rooted in metacognition.

Amanda Hubball

Nursery teacher, Derbyshire

The Thinking Moves story

Roger Sutcliffe had been focussed on teaching thinking in one way or another for 40 years – as an English teacher, then a Maths teacher, then a Philosophy for Children trainer, and for some years as a consultant for Thinking Schools International.

In the last role he became increasingly frustrated with the various “thinking skills” approaches that were being advocated and activated. They varied between the over-elaborate and the gimmicky, and with very little coherence between them. Worse, not one of them was a complete system - not even Bloom’s famous taxonomy, which fails to include fundamental skills such as questioning, quantifying and justifying.

So, he set about creating a scheme that was simple and memorable, practical and complete – one that could be used by teachers to teach thinking more systematically and effectively, but also by learners to manage their thinking and, thereby, manage their own learning and lives better.

After eight years of reiterations, reflections and new resolutions, he finally published the Thinking Moves A – Z in 2020, with Tom and Jason from The Philosophy Man. Despite the almost immediate constraints of Covid, the scheme has been gratefully taken up by teachers from Early Years to 6th form, and has already been translated into several languages, including Chinese and Arabic.”

“A unique approach to inspiring children & young people to question, reflect & think deeply."

“This pocket-sized curriculum for an age in crisis deserves to play a prominent role in any school and education system for which the penny’s finally dropped – that the old practices and ambitions are no longer fit for purpose and do not equip our children to thrive – or perhaps not even to survive – in a world which requires us urgently to behave as humans at their best can and must – reasonably, critically, and wisely. It’s a cliche to say that a book deserves to do well. Heaven knows, this one needs to.” Dr. Barry Hymer (Emeritus Professor of Psychology in Education, University of Cumbria, England)

“A unique approach to inspiring children & young people to question, reflect & think deeply. Packed full of practical engaging resources for any classroom or group setting this book builds capacity for criticality”
Professor Dame Alison Peacock, DBE, DL, DLitt (Chief Executive, Chartered College of Teaching)

“Thinking Moves is a welcome contribution to a very worthwhile project: helping people of all ages to think in more systematic and reflective ways.”
Steve Williams (Former Editor of Teaching Thinking and Creativity and current Editor of P4C.com)

What does training involve?

You’ve probably heard that metacognitive strategies are “very high impact for very low cost” (EEF), but do your staff understand what metacognition looks like in the classroom?

Start your school on the Thinking Moves training pathway to learn:

how to integrate metacognitive strategies across the curriculum
how to share a common vocabulary for thinking with all learnersa wealth of new
activities that help learners think more rigorously about their subject knowledge

All staff get a copy of Thinking Moves A-Z and a wealth of supporting resources for the curriculum.

Fancy a chat about it?

No obligation - just a chat about what might be possible!

A curriculum-centred approach

Training that doesn’t connect to the curriculum isn’t worth it’s salt. Learn how to:

Embed metacognitive activities in all subjects
Integrate metacognition with enquiry-based learning
Develop your questioning to facilitate deeper thinking

Practical for teachers

INSET should be memorable, and its impact immediate and lasting. Thinking Moves training explains:

How to tailor metacognitive strategies for all age groups - even EYFS
How to help your class memorise all 26 moves in just one lesson
How to make metacognition become part of daily teaching and learning routines

Built around student understanding

Unlike most existing approaches, Thinking Moves gives learners the vocabulary to talk about their own thinking:

How to develop their awareness of their own thinking moves
How to help them plan ahead and pick the right thinking moves for future tasks
How to expand their vocabulary to describe what’s happening in their head

“The most powerful innovation I have come across in 23 years of teaching…”

“The most powerful innovation I have come across in 23 years of teaching…” - KS4 Teacher

Metacognition is one of those words that I have struggled to get my head around and fully get to grips with. Your session has been the only time where I have seen it "brought to life" and seen it in practice. - KS1 teacher

“During a teaching career of over 20 years, there have been very few initiatives that have had as great a positive impact on my practice as Thinking Moves A to Z. It has transformed the way I teach and the way I encourage my pupils to learn. Having said this, Thinking Moves didn’t teach me anything I didn’t already know about teaching and learning; I have exerted very little effort in tweaking the methods I use to teach. It simply gave a name to every method of thinking that we all use in our everyday life; a label that I could direct children to use to help them with their learning, triggered by a memorable action children find easy to respond to." - KS2 Teacher

This sounds great! How do I book training?

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