What metacognition is and why it's important:
Encouraging children's awareness of their thinking as they read is essential for comprehension and results in the development of metacognition.
Metacognition is when children become aware of these thinking strategies, by being aware and having control of one's thinking processes. This develops over time through teachers modelling how to think aloud about texts and when teachers notice children's thinking about thinking. It is a crucial component of learning because it enables learners to assess their level of comprehension and adjust their strategies for greater success (Block & Israel, 2004).
'Teaching metacognitive comprehension strategies can be made explicit when teachers think aloud and make thinking strategies transparent'(Hill, 2012, p.227) within classroom instruction and interactions.
Metacognition is when children become aware of these thinking strategies, by being aware and having control of one's thinking processes. This develops over time through teachers modelling how to think aloud about texts and when teachers notice children's thinking about thinking. It is a crucial component of learning because it enables learners to assess their level of comprehension and adjust their strategies for greater success (Block & Israel, 2004).
'Teaching metacognitive comprehension strategies can be made explicit when teachers think aloud and make thinking strategies transparent'(Hill, 2012, p.227) within classroom instruction and interactions.
Think alouds:
Think alouds can be thought of as eavesdropping on someone's thinking. A think aloud 'involves making one's thoughts audible and, usually public - saying what you are thinking while you are performing a task, in this case, reading' (Duke & Pearson, 2002, p.214).
What is the purpose of think alouds?
The purpose of a think aloud is to model for students how skills readers construct meaning from a text. Such as telling what you see in your mind as you read, what connections you are making, what predictions you have made and what you don't understand (word and/or section of text).
Why use think alouds?
- help students to learn to monitor their thinking as they read
- improves comprehension
- it slows down the reading process and allows students to monitor their understanding of the text
Think alouds have been shown to 'improve students' comprehension both when students themselves engage in the practice during reading and also when teachers routinely think aloud while reading to students' (Duke & Pearson, 2002, p.214).
What is the purpose of think alouds?
The purpose of a think aloud is to model for students how skills readers construct meaning from a text. Such as telling what you see in your mind as you read, what connections you are making, what predictions you have made and what you don't understand (word and/or section of text).
Why use think alouds?
- help students to learn to monitor their thinking as they read
- improves comprehension
- it slows down the reading process and allows students to monitor their understanding of the text
Think alouds have been shown to 'improve students' comprehension both when students themselves engage in the practice during reading and also when teachers routinely think aloud while reading to students' (Duke & Pearson, 2002, p.214).
How to use think alouds?
Choose an interesting short story/passage to read aloud to students. Decide on the comprehension strategy that you want to focus on modelling: making connections, predicting, questioning, monitoring, visualising or summarising. State the purpose for reading and learning this/these strategies. Begin reading aloud to students, as you read model your thinking paying attention to the strategy chosen for instruction. Give students opportunities to practice using think alouds. |
Teacher think aloud:
During a think aloud teachers verbalise their thinking aloud while reading a short story and/or passage orally to the class. This verbalisation involves describing the strategies they are using to monitor their own comprehension while reading. It demonstrates effective comprehension strategies, as well as when and when not to use them. In the example below, the teacher demonstrates the use of visualisation and prediction strategies: 'That night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind and another...Boy, I can really visualise Max. He's in this monster suit and he is chasing after his dog with a fork in his hand. I think he is really starting to act crazy. I wonder what made Max act like that...Hm-m-m...I bet he was getting a little bored and wanted to go on an adventure. I think that is my prediction' (Pressley et al., 1992, p.518 as cited in Duke & Pearson, 2002, p.214). |
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The teacher in this YouTube video outlines how to use a think aloud with students while reading aloud.
She draws attention to the reading strategies that can be used before, during and after reading. |