Project Zero's Thinking Routines
Levels PK-12 Content - Any
A thinking routine is a set of questions or a brief sequence of steps used to scaffold and support deep student thinking. Project Zero researchers designed open source thinking routines to deepen students' thinking and to help make that thinking “visible.” Thinking Routines are a powerful way to ensure students are getting to the depth of thinking that the standard requires. (Project Zero)
READ
Thinking routines help to reveal students’ thinking to the teacher and also help students themselves to notice and name particular “thinking moves,” making those moves more available and useful to them in other contexts.
LISTEN
Project Zero hosts a Podcast called Thinkability. It's available on Spotify or Apple. Subscribe here.
PLAN
The Project Zero Website is organized by the type of thinking (see images below).
Each routine has a pdf of directions in English and Spanish.
Want an alphabetical list of routines? Alpha List
PRO TIP
Pro Tip 1! Thinking routines are designed to support particular kinds of thinking, so it’s important to choose the right tool for the specific type of thinking skill to be developed or nurtured.
Pro Tip 12!Thinking routines are also designed to be used routinely. In the same way that physical exercises need to be repeated in order to develop certain muscles, thinking routines, used repeatedly, help students to develop certain kinds of thinking. Rather than using a different thinking routine with every artifact, consider using the same thinking routine (such as See, Think, Wonder) multiple times.
PRO TIP 3! As you use the thinking routines, consider how you (or the students) will document students’ ideas and questions. Return to these ideas and questions in subsequent class sessions, so that you and the students can see how their thinking and understanding are developing.
BELOW YOU CAN SEE THE ROUTINES ORGANIZED BY THE TYPE OF THINKING. INTERESTED? START SMALL! CHOOSE ONE, AND KEEP PRACTICING IT. DIRECTIONS IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH PROVIDED.
In which phases of the instructional model might this strategy be used?
