A classroom investigation of the growth of metacognitive awareness in kindergarten children through the writing process

This digest found in

Early years
English
Thinking skills

Authors

Jacobs, Geralyn M

Publisher

Early Childhood Education Journal, 32(1) September 2004, pp.17 – 23.

Introduction

A starting point for what metacognition is about focuses on "knowing about knowing and thinking about thinking" (click here for a fuller definition). It is considered an essential part of learning. Although research suggests metacognition is an important element in the reading and writing processes, little has so far been discovered about when - and how - it develops in the very young learner.

This small-scale study takes a first step towards addressing this, by looking at the growth of metacognitive awareness in terms of literacy development at (the equivalent of) Year 1. By regularly asking the children the same small series of questions concerning their work and the thought processes that went into it over a six month period, the researcher attempted to raise the children's awareness of the place of thought and strategy in developing writing skills. The research also considered the growth of early writing skills in a classroom that supported the growth of the children's knowledge about what they knew and their thinking about how they thought, i.e. their metacognitive awareness.

The study found that the children in the case study developed vocabulary and thought processes that suggested that metacognitive awareness was taking place, and that this supported advances in various aspects of writing and learning. It provides a model that could be used in classrooms to help children in the development of their growing metacognition.

Keywords:
USA; Early years; Key Stage 1; Nursery Schools; Literacy; Writing; Speaking and listening; Thinking skills; Cognitive development; Metacognition; Creativity

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Research Home Themes \| Find digests \| About the digests resources glossary researchers contact TRIPS Introduction What is metacognition and how does it fit into in early literacy? What the study found What was the aim and the design of this study? What are the implications of the study? Where can I find out more? Send us your feedback Collated digests To view/remove/add notes and save your collated digests click here Get Word Reader A classroom investigation of the growth of metacognitive awareness in kindergarten children through the writing process This digest found in Early years English Thinking skills Send to a friend Word doc 50KB Printer friendly Collate for later Authors Jacobs, Geralyn M Publisher Early Childhood Education Journal, 32(1) September 2004, pp.17 – 23. Introduction A starting point for what metacognition is about focuses on "knowing about knowing and thinking about thinking" (click here for a fuller definition). It is considered an essential part of learning. Although research suggests metacognition is an important element in the reading and writing processes, little has so far been discovered about when - and how - it develops in the very young learner. This small-scale study takes a first step towards addressing this, by looking at the growth of metacognitive awareness in terms of literacy development at (the equivalent of) Year 1. By regularly asking the children the same small series of questions concerning their work and the thought processes that went into it over a six month period, the researcher attempted to raise the children's awareness of the place of thought and strategy in developing writing skills. The research also considered the growth of early writing skills in a classroom that supported the growth of the children's knowledge about what they knew and their thinking about how they thought, i.e. their metacognitive awareness. The study found that the children in the case study developed vocabulary and thought processes that suggested that metacognitive awareness was taking place, and that this supported advances in various aspects of writing and learning. It provides a model that could be used in classrooms to help children in the development of their growing metacognition. Keywords: USA; Early years; Key Stage 1; Nursery Schools; Literacy; Writing; Speaking and listening; Thinking skills; Cognitive development; Metacognition; Creativity