COGNITIVE STRATEGIES

COGNITIVE STRATEGIES

Cognitive strategy instruction develops the thinking skills that will make students strategic, flexible learners. People use such strategies all the time, like writing a note to remember an important fact. For some students, cognitive strategies must be explicitly taught so they will be able to consciously think, "This is the information I want, and this is the tool I can use to get it." Students must also have multiple opportunities to practice cognitive strategies. Thus, strategies become power tools, with greater flexibility.

COGNITIVE STRATEGIES: A TOOLKIT FOR READERS Planning and Goal Setting

Developing procedural and substantive plans /Creating and setting goals

Establishing a purpose/ Determining priorities

Tapping Prior Knowledge

Mobilizing knowledge /Searching existing schemata

Asking Questions and Making Predictions

Generating questions /re: topic, genre, author/audience, purpose, etc.

/Finding a focus/ directing attention/ Predicting what will happen next/

Fostering forward momentum

Establishing focal points for confirming or revising meaning

COGNITIVE STRATEGIES: A TOOLKIT FOR READERS

Constructing the Gist

Visualizing/Making connections/Forming preliminary interpretations/

Identifying main ideas/ Organizing information

Expanding schemata/Adopting an alignment

Monitoring

Directing the cognitive process/ Regulating the kind,duration of activity

Confirming -is on track/ Signaling the need for fix up strategies

Revising Meaning: Reconstructing the DraftBacktracking

Revising meaning/ Seeking validation for interpretations

Analyzing text closely/digging deeper/ Analyzing author's craft

COGNITIVE STRATEGIES: A TOOLKIT FOR READERS

Reflecting and Relating

Stepping back

Taking stock

Rethinking what one knows

Formulating guidelines for personal ways of living

Evaluating

Reviewing

Asking questions

Evaluating/assessing quality

Forming criticisms

COGNITIVE STRATEGIES

STRATEGY EXAMPLES

“USAGE CHART”(WORD SORT ACTIVITY

Person or Thing

Action Word Describing Word

     

     

Given a list of vocabulary words, students sort them into categories based on their usage

VENN DIAGRAM(VOCABULARY SORT) 

Given a list of vocabulary words, students place them in a Venn Diagram based on their relationships to two topics. For example:

ILLUSTRATED WORDS

tie the score bounce charge on field

Students draw an illustration to represent the meaning of each vocabulary word or phrase. Example:

PREDICT-O-GRAM

Characters Actions

   

Students complete a chart predicting whether each vocabulary word will relate to a character or an action.

WORD ASSOCIATION(VOCABULARY)

Word Before Reading

After Reading

     

Given a list of vocabulary words, students tell what they think they mean before reading the story and then after reading.

SYNONYMS (VOCABULARY)

Given a list of vocabulary words, students choose a synonym to match each word.

Example:1. corner sun edge angle2. escaped ran away hid danced3. scared afraid happy frightened

ONE OR THE OTHER

Students choose the word or phrase that best matches the vocabulary word.

Example:1. understand be confused know the meaning 2. breaking putting together coming apart

ASSOCIATION CHART

Given a list of vocabulary words, students write something they associate with each word.

Word Association

creeks  

flood  

mountains  

SYNONYMS / ANTONYMS CHART

Word Synonyms Antonyms

breeze    

smooth    

howled    

WORD CATEGORY CHART

Word Where in Story

What It Means

How I Know

       

VOCABULARY EXPLORE PAST TENSE

Example: I like to wander in the

museum. I wandered in the museum

PRACTICINGRepeating Imitate a native speaker (pronunciation, intonation,

vocabulary, etc) Listen regularly to the news in English, the weather report,

etc., in order to get familiar with the new vocabulary in context. (listen to it every morning)

Repeating a song several times (play karaoke) Look for patterns in written documents (something you can

consider for writing next time) Read a paragraph several times for different purposes (to get a

general idea, to look for details, to predict, to write down questions, etc)

When you write, check the paragraph to see if you have the main ideas, then check punctuation.

Use the “Suggestopedia” Method. Play music and repeat the same oral passage several times at different speeds.

FORMALLY PRACTICING WITH SOUNDS AND WRITING SYSTEMS

Record your voice and then compare it with a native speaker’s voice

When you have a clear understanding of the pronunciation, say the words and look at yourself in the mirror.

Compare similar sounding words in terms of their written representation (symbols) (minimal pairs)

Minimal Pairs LOOK VS LUKE PULL VS PULFULL VS FOOLHAT VS HUT

RECOGNIZING AND USING FORMULAS AND PATTERNS

How are you? Awesome!

Fantastic!Phenomenal!

Could be better.Things could be better.Terrible!Pretty good.Great!Wonderful!Fine.

I'm all right.Can't complain.Couldn't be better!Never better!

I wish I could say things are good.I'm having an off day.I'm having a bad day.Don't ask!Don't get me started!

PRACTICING NATURALISTICALLY (ALL SKILLS)

Write an e-mail in English/ Chat with your friends.

Read or listen to something you can use in your daily activities (familiar topics).

Create role plays or simulations with your friends (for example, a telephone conversation).

Speak to a native speaker whenever you have the chance.

RECEIVING AND SENDING MESSAGESGetting the idea quickly Use skimming to get a general idea of a text Read the first sentence of each

paragraph Read the first and last paragraphs Use scanning to look for specific information You search for key words or ideas. In

most cases, you know what you're looking for, so you're concentrating on finding a particular answer.

USING RESOURCES FOR RECEIVING AND SENDING MESSAGES (ALL SKILLS)

Always use printed/online resources such as dictionaries

Consult grammar books, encyclopedias, websites, glossaries on different topics. (grammar in use)

www.englishclub.com www.thesaurus.com http://dictionary.cambridge.org/ www.wordreference.com http://www.rhymezone.com/ http://www.mansioningles.com/   http://www.eslflow.com/ http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bag

ANALYZING EXPRESSIONS

A PREMIDITATED CRIME

CRIME (BAD ACT)- MEDITATE (THINK BEFORE) – PRE (BEFORE)

ANALYZE THE FOLLOWING WORDS. WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY MEAN?

Harmless Unhealthy Prehistoric Unfair Disobey Rewrite Unhappy Dishonest Brainstorming Icebreaker Feedback