• Encourage students to elaborate and explain rather than repeat facts. Let them expand upon their ideas.

    Reward children for "far-out" thinking and encourage imaginary play. Deter children with higher-order thinking problems to involve themselves in passive activities.

    Stress the right method of accomplishment rather than the right answer. Help them recognize the right answer and become problem solving strategists.

    Help students think about problem solving and rules by creating a Problem Solving Planner for the tasks they perform.

    Students need to start at concrete, move to the abstract, and then move back to concrete again to see the correlation.

    Children need to learn to develop concept mapping. Children can first use pre-created maps and store the information in them. (i.e. graphic organizers, visual mapping, etc.)

    Make sure the student has mastered and assimilated a concept rather that memorized. If they cannot fully understand a concept, it is difficult to move on and learn more.

    Teachers need to model and actively teach meta cognition so students can learn to incorporate strategies (scanning, long division) and understand various learning and thinking processes.

    Use reading materials to teach cause and effect and fact and opinion *(See reading suggestions from Language Literacy page)
Last Modified on May 12, 2010