How would you explain metacognition to an alien?
That very question sparked a fascinating discussion in one of our recent Webinar Wednesdays, where we explored what the evidence tells us about metacognition — and how confidently (or not!) we can explain it as practitioners.
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) reports that metacognitive strategies can lead to an average of 7 months additional progress when used effectively — with the biggest gains seen in socio-economically disadvantaged children.
So, if we want to close gaps, level up outcomes, and build lifelong learning habits… then talking about how we think — and teaching children how to think — matters.
In this latest blog, Andrina Flinders — MNS Headteacher and Lead Practitioner for the Thrive Together Stronger Practice Hub — explores:
- what metacognition really is
- why it can be tricky to explain
- small but powerful practices we can build into everyday provision
- how we can talk to children about the thinking behind their learning
It’s also the first in a new metacognition blog series — where we’ll follow how settings are embedding and exemplifying the 6 metacognitive practices: thinking aloud, planning & sequencing, making links, recapping, predicting and drawing attention.