Thinking skills training in English with pre-school children

Herbert Puchtafacebook.com/herbertpuchta.elt

@herbertpuchta

www.herbertpuchta.com

• Reasons for teaching thinking skills Reasons for teaching thinking skills

at pre-primary levelat pre-primary level

• Practical examplesPractical examples

• Q&AQ&A

ContentContent

Do we want this?

Do we want this?

Teaching the very Teaching the very young:young:

The attention grabbing approachThe attention grabbing approach

•Very young children are able to think, attend and remember, BUT their thinking, attending and memory are very reactive.

•Example - TV: fast paced, loud, lots of movement, colourful, constantly changing scenes

•‘Reactive learners’ need fast-paced sensory bombardment to learn even very simple information!

Do we want this?Do we want this?

Bodrova/Leong, Tools of the Mind, p. 5

Do we want this?

Teaching the very Teaching the very young:young:

Or do we want this?

Learning as a self directed activityLearning as a self directed activity

•children who can direct their attention, memory and problem-solving skills on their own

•children who are gradually taking more and more responsibility for their learning

•children who have mental tools at their disposal that help them to attend, remember and think better

Bodrova/Leong, Tools of the Mind, p. 5

Or do we want this?Or do we want this?

Tools of the mind extend our cognitive capabilities. Their absence will have serious long-term consequences on the child’s development. Without them children will not be able to pay attention. They will have poor memory skills, and will not be able to engage in abstract thinking.

Tools of the mind reduce the workload for the teacher.

•Cognitive tools are to the mind what physical tools are to the body.

•Cognitive tools enable us to make plans, work in teams, and solve complex problems.

•Cognitive tools enable us to control our feelings and our behaviour.

•Cognitive tools dramatically improve our memory skills.

Cognitive tools - what for?Cognitive tools - what for?

•Symbolic use of objects, actions, words and people

•Thinking on an internal plane

•Divergent thinking

•Self-regulation

•Integration of emotions and thinking

Cognitive tools to emerge Cognitive tools to emerge by the end of kindergartenby the end of kindergarten

literacy

abstract thinking

creativity

thinking before acting

problem solving

• developing students’ imagination imagination

• taking on and acting out rolesroles

• following a set of rulesrules determined by

specific roles

Cognitive, social and emotional development Cognitive, social and emotional development throughthrough

• action stories

• stories

• role play

• art and drawing

• silence (private speech - inner speech -

verbal thinking)

Kindergarten ELT - cognitive tool developmentKindergarten ELT - cognitive tool development

IMAGINATIONIMAGINATION

• storytelling (imagination)

• role play (imagination, roles, rules!)

• silence (private speech - inner speech -

verbal thinking)

Kindergarten ELT - cognitive tool developmentKindergarten ELT - cognitive tool development

ROLESROLES

• sensomotoric thinking (self regulation!)

• awareness of values (stories)

• games

• role play

• patterns (rhythm / rhyme / chants / songs /

logical sequences)

• planning (self regulation!)

• routines

Kindergarten ELT - cognitive tool developmentKindergarten ELT - cognitive tool development

RULESRULES

• rhythm and rhymerhythm and rhyme

• Images and imaginative thinkingImages and imaginative thinking

• story thinkingstory thinking

• small talksmall talk

Language and the development of cognitive toolsLanguage and the development of cognitive tools(Kieran Egan)(Kieran Egan)

Teaching Young Learners to Think - Categories:

• Comparisons• Categorising• Sequencing• Focusing attention• Memorising• Exploring space

• Exploring time

• Exploring numbers

• Creating associations

• Cause and effect

• Making decisions

Teaching Young Learners to ThinkHelbling LanguagesPuchta H., M. Williams, 2012

HOORAY! LetHOORAY! Let’’s Play!s Play!

SB + Audio-CDSB + Audio-CDTB + 2 Audio-CDs + DVD-ROMTB + 2 Audio-CDs + DVD-ROMCartoon Stories DVDCartoon Stories DVDCards Set (flashcards + story cards)Cards Set (flashcards + story cards)Interactive Whiteboard softwareInteractive Whiteboard softwarePeter the Panda puppetPeter the Panda puppet

Thank you!Thank you!Herbert Puchtafacebook.com/herbertpuchta.elt

@herbertpuchta

www.herbertpuchta.com

WEBinar:WEBinar:

Thinking skills training in English Thinking skills training in English

with pre-school children with pre-school children

withwith HERBERT PUCHTAHERBERT PUCHTA

QUESTIONS & ANSWERSQUESTIONS & ANSWERS