As a KNSTE tutor and Thinking Moves trainer I modelled the use of the Move CONNECT to support the generalisation of concepts connected with changes of state using the activity illustrated below.

I use Thinking Moves to organise my notes. For example, I used GROUP and HEADLINE to create notes on certain sub-topics in the water cycle such as the cycle, impacts and case studies. I think that they are particularly useful to use when you feel unsure or muddled, as they can help you to plan not only how to structure the layout of the information but also they can be helpful in EXPLAINING and evaluating the information itself. If we can put names to the cognitive moves we make – if we can recognise and become aware of them in ourselves and others – then we can reflect on their purpose and value. If we can do that, we can begin to make conscious decisions to apply them – to take control of our own thought processes. That might lead to better thinking, better learning and wiser decisions – a better way of being!Are better when taught in collaborative groups so that learners can support each other and make their thinking explicit through discussion;

Comprehensible. Simple activities are provided to allow each move to be practised and to allow people to make meaning of the move. This is supported by a list of synonyms and associated vocabulary for each move that helps people to build a more nuanced understanding of the acts of thinking it denotes. For example, to think AHEAD is also to ‘predict’, to ‘aim’, to ‘look forward’, to ‘expect’, to ‘hope’ and to ‘target’. Special synonyms for EYFS children are provided;NACE Associate Amanda Hubball, Deputy Head and More Able Lead at Challenge Award-accredited Alfreton Nursery School, shares five key approaches to embed metacognition in the early years. Year 3 students at Bunscoill Rhumsaa in the Isle of Man used Thinking Moves to plan speeches about their favourite predator. After a little modelling such as that described above, it was over to our ATs to make their own connections between the A-Z and the curriculum, and they rose to the challenge wonderfully well. Our thinking ability is what makes us distinctively human. Yet we have no generally accepted approach to teaching thinking – and no common vocabulary to describe different ways of thinking. This, when you think about it, is extraordinary. Imagine trying to teach or learn maths if we did not have commonly accepted terms such as add, subtract, multiply and divide.

When we talk about the progression of mathematical understanding we have a shared language. We all understand what it means to engage in addition and subtraction. Phonics, science . . . all areas of learning have a common linguistic foundation. For example, within literacy we have raised our focus on the Thinking Move Infer. For children to gather information from a story is a key skill for future progression. Within science we emphasise the need to Test and within music we support children to Respond. Progression planning now has a clear focus on cognitive challenge, as well as subject knowledge. Teaching staff build on the more commonly used Thinking Moves words, whilst subtly introducing less familiar terms. The use of synonyms within conversation, to accompany the language of Thinking Moves, supports both adults and children to use the words in context. As soon as I started using them, it became a central part on how I structure notes, plans, and answers. They help with prioritising and putting together GROUPS of information, creating links between one topic and another.

Anna makes a tent village

Evidence suggests the use of ‘metacognitive strategies’ – which get pupils to think about their own learning – can be worth the equivalent of an additional +7 months’ progress when used well. Following a recent Thinking Moves training, the International Baccalaureate coordinator at Wuxi United International School (WUIS), in China, returned to her school and began introducing the Thinking Moves in English and Chinese classes in middle and upper School.