Metacognition in Young Children

Metacognition is known to be an important factor in academic achievement. However, it is also important in a wider life context. The ability to reflect upon how we are thinking can help us to make wiser decisions in all aspects of our life. The book examines theories of metacognition of particular relevance to primary school age children. Drawing on empirical research from psychology and education to show the specific kinds of metacognitive processing that young children can engage in, it brings together international research on metacognition in the early years across different curriculum areas, including science, mathematics, literacy and the less traditional area of physical education.Rather than giving tips for teachers, as many thinking skills books do, this book argues for a coherent approach to the development of metacognition, which involves building metacognitive environments in the classroom. Using real classroom examples, the author argues for an approach to developing metacognition which takes account of the whole child, the socio-cultural context, the classroom environment and the curriculum.Shirley Larkin is the author of 'Metacognition in Young Children', published 2009 under ISBN 9780415463577 and ISBN 0415463572.