Thinking skills

Thinking skills are comprised of different types of cognition; information processing, inquiry, creative thinking, and reasoning.

For each skill category and cluster, IB provides skill indicators which learners can develop and demonstrate. Links to helpful resources and further ideas related to specific skill indicators are provided here.

The Author has provided links to resources and activities that support the development of Thinking Skills. Click on the blue text to go to external sites that provide support and ideas.

Skill Clusters

Early Years Skill Indicators

Primary Skill Indicators

Critical thinking

Analysing and evaluating issues and ideas, and forming decisions

Analysing

  • Observe carefully.

  • Consider meaning taken from materials and events.

  • Synthesize new understandings by seeing relationships and connections.

Evaluating

Forming decisions

Analysing

Evaluating

  • Organize relevant information to formulate an argument.

  • Evaluate evidence and arguments, and associated decisions.

  • Recognize unstated assumptions and biases.

  • Consider ideas from multiple perspectives.

  • Synthesize new understandings by finding unique characteristics; seeing relationships and connections.

  • Test generalizations and conclusions.

  • Identify obstacles and challenges.

Forming decisions

Creative thinking

Generating novel ideas and considering new perspectives

Generating novel ideas

Considering new perspectives

  • Seek information.

  • Consider alternative solutions, including those that might be unlikely or impossible, in play and other situations.

  • Engage in “visible thinking” routines (Harvard Project Zero 2016)

Generating novel ideas

Considering new perspectives

  • Ask “what if” questions and generate testable hypotheses.

  • Apply existing knowledge to design new products, processes, media and technologies.

  • Consider multiple alternatives, including those that might be unlikely or impossible.

  • Practise flexible thinking—develop multiple opposing, contradictory and complementary arguments.

  • Generate metaphors and analogies.

Information transfer

Using skills and knowledge in multiple contexts

Using skills and knowledge in multiple contexts

  • Use memory techniques to develop long-term memory.

  • Inquire in different contexts to gain different perspectives.

  • Make connections between units of inquiry and between subjects.

  • Combine knowledge, conceptual understandings and skills to create products or solutions.

  • Apply skills and knowledge in unfamiliar situations or outside of school.

  • Help others develop conceptual understandings and skills.

Reflection and metacognition

Using thinking skills to reflect on the process of learning

Using thinking skills to reflect on the process of learning

  • Identify strengths and areas for improvement

  • Reflect on their learning by asking questions such as the following.

    • What did I learn today?

    • What can I already do?

    • What will I learn next?

  • Identify strengths and areas for improvement.

  • Consider new skills, techniques and strategies for effective learning.

  • Record thinking and reflection processes.

  • Reflect on their learning by asking questions such as:

    • What did I learn today?

    • What don’t I yet understand?

    • What questions do I have now?

    • What can I already do?

    • What will I work on next?

    • What can I do to become a more effective learner?

    • What factors are important for helping me learn well?

    • Have I been a principled and balanced thinker? (for example, considering ethical, cultural and environmental implications).

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