Reflecting

Students reflect when they are working through a problem to monitor their thought process, to identify what is working and what is not working, and to consider whether their approach is appropriate or whether there may be a better approach. Students also reflect after they have solved a problem by considering the reasonableness of their answer and whether adjustments need to be made. Teachers can support all students as they develop their reflecting and metacognitive skills by asking questions that have them examine their thought processes, as well as questions that have them think about other students’ thought processes. Students can also reflect on how their new knowledge can be applied to past and future problems in mathematics.

(Ontario Elementary Math Curriculum, 2020)

Instructional Strategies

• Ask students to think about their thinking, e.g., How do you know? How is this similar to a problem you have done before?

• Model how to use the reflective process, explicitly stating what you are doing, e.g., As I reflect on your explanation, I...; As I think about this problem, I am reminded of....

• Generate cognitive dissonance in students who have misunderstood a concept so they can change their understanding.

• Encourage students to ask themselves “what-if” questions.

Prompting Questions

• Have you thought about...?

• What do you notice about...?

• What patterns do you see?

• Does this problem/answer make sense to you?

• How does this compare to...?

• What could you start with to help you explore the possibilities?

• How can you verify this answer?

• What evidence of your thinking can you share?

• Is this a reasonable answer?