HOTS for kindergarten
HOTS
HIGH ORDER THINKING ESSENTIAL IN TEACHING IN PRE PRIMARY SCHOOLS
A young child’s brain is like a sponge. It quickly absorbs everything. For this reason, it is vital that we provide our young students with materials and activities that require them to think for themselves rather than simply absorbing information. To be successful in school, students need to be equipped with strong thinking skills. When a student has developed strong thinking skills, they are capable of utilizing, applying, and evaluating the knowledge they absorb. The introduction to higher order thinking can begin as early as preschool and kindergarten. Take a look at several activities I use to help develop my students' higher order thinking skills.
Comparing and Contrasting-Teaching lessons on comparing and contrasting is a great way to develop higher order thinking skills. When teaching students to compare and contrast two objects, ask them to explain why the objects are the same or why they are different. Students can use Venn diagrams to compare and contrast characters in a book, animals, candy, and so much more.
Patterns-Teaching patterns is an important part of the kindergarten curriculum across the United States. As children work on patterns, they begin to see and understand how things work together. Students can learn to recognize, copy, extend, and create patterns through daily activities. Teaching patterns can also help increase a student’s problem-solving skills. To incorporate more higher order thinking when teaching patterns, have your students practice recognizing patterns in the environment, extending, and creating their own patterns.
READ ALOUDS-Kids love being read to. Teachers can use this time to incorporate several higher order thinking skills. After reading a book, avoid asking your students “yes” or “no” questions. Try to incorporate several open-ended questions about the characters and various events in the story. These type of
HIGH ORDER THINKING ESSENTIAL IN TEACHING IN PRE PRIMARY SCHOOLS
A young child’s brain is like a sponge. It quickly absorbs everything. For this reason, it is vital that we provide our young students with materials and activities that require them to think for themselves rather than simply absorbing information. To be successful in school, students need to be equipped with strong thinking skills. When a student has developed strong thinking skills, they are capable of utilizing, applying, and evaluating the knowledge they absorb. The introduction to higher order thinking can begin as early as preschool and kindergarten. Take a look at several activities I use to help develop my students' higher order thinking skills.
Comparing and Contrasting-Teaching lessons on comparing and contrasting is a great way to develop higher order thinking skills. When teaching students to compare and contrast two objects, ask them to explain why the objects are the same or why they are different. Students can use Venn diagrams to compare and contrast characters in a book, animals, candy, and so much more.
Patterns-Teaching patterns is an important part of the kindergarten curriculum across the United States. As children work on patterns, they begin to see and understand how things work together. Students can learn to recognize, copy, extend, and create patterns through daily activities. Teaching patterns can also help increase a student’s problem-solving skills. To incorporate more higher order thinking when teaching patterns, have your students practice recognizing patterns in the environment, extending, and creating their own patterns.
READ ALOUDS-Kids love being read to. Teachers can use this time to incorporate several higher order thinking skills. After reading a book, avoid asking your students “yes” or “no” questions. Try to incorporate several open-ended questions about the characters and various events in the story. These type of