Wired for Learning
Timeline and Activities for Implementation of Thinking Skills (TS) (pdf version)
1st Month of School – Planning
Each school will develop an implementation plan two weeks prior to starting the program in classes. The plan should include the following: 1) Name of School and Principal with address and phone number; 2) Which students will be included in the classes, (i.e.) Regular, EC, ESL or other pullout groups; and 3) Schedule of time of day when Thinking Skills lessons will be taught in each class by teacher and room number. Teach TS four times a week for 20 minutes for Kindergarten and 25 minutes for first and second grades. Send plan by email to the Project Manager.
Parental Involvement
Send a letter to parents explaining the Thinking Skills Program with suggestions on how they can help. (Sample Letters and Ideas for Parental Involvement will be available in English and Other Languages.)
Orientation for Students and Parents – Class Rules and Responsibilities
During general orientation when talking about class behaviors with students and parents, also discuss expectations for teaching thinking skills and the expectation for developing smart habits for learning to include how to ask and answer questions. This process should be carried out when teaching all classes, throughout the day.
Speaking in complete sentences: In order to model the thinking process, students and teachers need to develop a routine habit of speaking in complete sentences at all times. Identify this process as Smart Talk. This will become a habit with students after a few weeks of instruction. Kindergarteners can learn this in a few weeks after classes start. First and second grade students should be proficient at speaking in complete sentences, unless they are new to the Thinking Skills Program. However, it is important to continue to reinforce this practice. Teachers can use a signal to remind students when they forget.
2nd Month of School – Begin Teaching Thinking Skills – Teach Book Sequentially
The level of difficulty of the material in the book increases with each grade level and chapter. Thus, greater cognitive development gains are expected when the book is followed sequentially. Follow the Teacher’s Manual as a guide and teach lessons from the Thinking Skills Book four times a week. Embed the Thinking Skills practices in all daily lessons, where appropriate, and always let the students know which thinking skill they are using and learning (e.g., today we are going to learn how to describe: define: classify; compare and contrast; and etc.).
Select picture books purchased for the classrooms to use with thinking skills and key concepts to teach background knowledge across Thinking Skills and all subjects.
Use the Mental Models of Thinking Templates to develop students’ understanding of a concept and to enable students to define the key characteristics/properties of a concept and to visualize the parts to a whole. In addition, post an “I Can” statement on the board and refer to it throughout the day (e.g., I can describe shapes by their name and color, see C-MAPP). Foster meta-cognition by giving students wait time to construct, deconstruct, and reconstruct their answers to questions. Use the Cubes, Cones, Cylinders and Spheres in first grade to introduce two-dimensional shapes (review Lange’s PowerPoint for activities).
As you plan lessons for the year in science, social studies, and the arts, our hope is that you will develop centers to raise the level of the curriculum and to differentiate the lessons for all students. Please collaborate with the AIG and IRT teachers to integrate their goals into the TS and regular lessons.
3rd Month of School: Classroom Observations
Formal observations with the Fidelity Checklist for TS will begin in the 3rd month of school and will continue throughout the year. The Project Manager will make arrangements with Principals and Teachers for school visits.
Non-Negotiable
1) Speak in Complete Sentences
2) Start TS Lessons with Essential Question
3) Engage all students in Think-Pair-Share
4) Focus on Academic Vocabulary in each lesson and display words where you can refer to them throughout the lesson.
Support and Resources
1) TS training will be available to Teacher Assistants, upon request.
2) Media Coordinators can provide trade books for using with lessons, (see attached list.)
3) Make a TS poster for the classrooms that highlights the six thinking skills.
For more information, Contact:
Margaret Gayle – meg43@duke.edu – 919-801-2384
Dan Turner – dlt17@duke.edu – 919-696-4894
Book List for Thinking Skills (pdf list) By Christine Lange
Animals
Penguins-National Geographic Kids
Sea Turtles-National Geographic Kids
Amazing Animal Journeys – 9781426307416
Black Out Animals That Live in the Dark – 9780448448244
What Do living Things Need-Elizabeth Austin
Communities
Farmers Help-Dee ready Pebble readers
Postal Workers-Cathy Mackey Davis
Grocers-Benchmark Reader
Ambulances-Red Brick Learning
Fire Trucks-Red brick Learning
A Day In the Life of A Firefighter by Linda Hayward (DK Readers)
Helpers In My Community-Bobbie Kalman
The Supermarket-Capstone Press
Doctor-Heinemann Publications
Veterinarians in Our Communities-Michelle Ames
Thinking Skills-Chapters 1-6
Shapes, Shapes, Shapes- Tana Hoban
So Many Circles-Tana Hoban
Is It Larger, Is It Smaller- Tana Hoban
Red, Blue, Yellow Shoes-Tana Hoban
Over and Under and Through-Tana Hoban
Spheres, Circles and Curves, Fan Shapes and Lines-Tana Hoban
10 Black Dots-Donald Crews
So Many Circles-Tana Hoban
Is It Larger, Is It Smaller- Tana Hoban
100th Day of School
100 Ways to Celebrate 100 Days – 9781250033697
Vehicles
Airplanes (Little Explorers) – 9781476335423
Trains (lvl 1) – 9780753467534
Trains (Gail Gibbons) – 9780823406999
Planes – 9780794514808
Heavy-Duty Trucks – 9780553512403
Motorcycles – 978037584116
Busy Tractors, Busy Days-DK Readers
On The Move- DK reader
Big machines Drive! – 9781484609828
Big machines Build! – 9781484609811
Tractors and Farm machines (Mighty machines series) –
Emergency Vehicles from Scholastic
100th Day of School
100 Ways to Celebrate 100 Days – 9781250033697
Weather
Weather (Nat. Geo Level 1) – 9781426313486
Magic School Bus at the Waterworks – 9780590403603
It’s Snowing – 9780823425457
Weather (Lift the flap) – 9780753471326
