In this Reading Rockets article, Daniel Willingham explores the topic of critical thinking and how to foster metacognitive skills in the classroom. Willingham notes that background knowledge plays a role in critical thinking and understanding the surface structure of problems. He provides evidence-based strategies, such […]
In this Knowledge Matters Campaign article, Daniel Willingham explores the factors that lead to critical thinking skills, noting that background, or domain knowledge, plays a key factor. Willingham notes, « background knowledge is absolutely integral to effectively deploying important cognitive processes, » suggesting that facts that are […]
In this column for American Educator, cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham defines critical thinking and provides strategies for fostering thinking in the everyday classroom. Willingham defines critical thinking in three ways stating it must be: novel, self-directed and effective and that it is the third attribute […]
In this Occasional Paper Series from Education Future Frontier, cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham takes a deep dive into the science behind teaching critical thinking and offers strategies such as understanding the domain knowledge required for understanding, creating conditions for transferable skills, and understanding the structure […]
This instructional content is tailored for educators guiding students through the lesson, equipping them to explore online advertising, understand marketers’ strategies, and engage critically in media literacy discussions. During the session, students grasp online advertising concepts, observing how marketers create immersive digital environments for children. […]
This instructional content is tailored for educators guiding students through the lesson. It introduces students to the concept that media can be misleading and encourages exploration of how creators intentionally frame media presentations, prompting contemplation of what remains beyond the scope. The objectives of this […]
This tailored instructional content guides educators in facilitating a lesson where students confront the challenges of discerning genuine from false online information. Through structured steps, students learn to verify online content and then creatively synthesize their understanding by designing a poster that underscores the importance […]
This tailored instructional content guides educators in facilitating a lesson where students discuss children’s television programming and its portrayal of gender roles. Through discussions, students identify unfavourable aspects in these portrayals and craft their TV characters that challenge these negative representations. The lesson draws from […]
Wanting to up your read aloud game? This lesson plan from Dr. Stephanie Stollar will support you in maximizing vocabulary and comprehension in your read alouds.
In this International Dyslexia Association Perspectives article, Susan B. Neuman explores the role of knowledge in comprehending texts. The article outlines how prior knowledge supports comprehension and outlines five research-based and practical principles to build knowledge networks: big ideas, word knowledge, using multiple genres, distributed review, and intentional opportunities for language engagement.
