13 Questions to Scaffold Metacognition
Metacognition–thinking about thinking–is the secret sauce of learning. Researchers break metacognition into two dimensions:
Dimension 1: Knowing oneself (what scientists call “metacognitive knowledge”). This includes understanding…
One’s own abilities: ”I’m good at brainstorming, but I struggle to organize ideas.”
Specific tasks: “This is a big assignment with multiple components–it’s going to take a while.”
Available strategies: ”It’s easier to start writing after I talk through the prompt.”
Dimension 2: Using that knowledge (aka “metacognitive regulation”). For example:
A third-grader gets lost while reading a chapter book. He asks his teacher to explain a tricky passage.
A seventh-grader isn’t sure how to solve a math problem. She draws a picture to clarify her thinking.
A college student struggles to focus during a study session. He seeks out a quieter environment that will be more conducive to learning.
So how do we cultivate these all-important skills? Metacognition takes time to develop, but short exercises go a long way. These simple questions help kids plan, self-monitor, and become more independent learners.
Before starting…
1. What’s the goal, and how will you know when you’ve reached it?
This might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how often kids (and adults!) dive into tasks without considering the purpose.
When I ask this question, students often name a broad, vague outcome: “Write the essay. Study for a quiz. Do the assignment.”
That’s where the second part of the question comes in. Students need a clear finish line, a concrete idea of what “done” looks like. For example:
“I’ll be done studying for a quiz when I can explain the key terms on the study guide.”
“I’ll be done writing this draft when I’ve finished six paragraphs.”
“I’ll be done with the assignment when I’ve completed the four items on our checklist.”
2. What are the steps to reach that goal?
Once the goal has been set, we can figure out how to get there. Kids need different levels of scaffolding to determine those steps. I usually start with an open-ended question, then add more specific prompts as needed:
“What’s the very first step? The second? The third?”
“Let’s work backward. The final goal is to turn in your essay, so what will you do right before that?”
“Let’s review the assignment. What deliverables are included?” (Some assignments come with built-in scaffolding, like a draft or outline due before the final deadline.)
If a student is really stumped, I’ll usually offer a few steps or a complete checklist. Later, we’ll pause, and I’ll ask them to summarize what we did. The next time they need to map a process, this new information will be fresher in their mind.
3. What isn’t the goal?
The open-endedness of writing makes it easy to drift off course and lose sight of the assignment’s purpose. Students might hyperfocus on small steps or get sidetracked by a special interest. The search for a single quote might take a whole hour. A one-paragraph reading response can devolve (or evolve?) into 20 sentences about a favorite indie video game.
To prevent these digressions, I ask students to clarify what the assignment doesn’t require and add those ideas to a “to-don’t” list.
4. How is this similar to tasks you’ve completed in the past?
I used to ask, “Have you completed anything like this assignment before?” Half the time, that question worked. The other half, I got a simple “no” in response.
I’ve learned to ask not whether this task is similar, but how it’s similar. Here are some sample responses:
“This essay is similar to the quick-write we did about the same novel last week.”
“This quiz is similar to the chemistry test I had last month.”
“I’m confused about this assignment, just like I was confused about last semester’s history paper.”
5. What resources are available?
I define resources expansively to include:
Background knowledge
Interest in a topic
People: teachers, parents, classmates, a writing tutor
Tools like brainstorming methods, graphic organizers, and revision checklists
The Internet: if a student has WiFi, they have access to a plethora of high-quality resources. And infinite distraction, but that’s a story for another post…
A list of available resources makes it easier to determine next steps. Each item points to a concrete action:
“If I have background knowledge, I can write down what I already know.”
“If I’m interested in the topic, I can use that as motivation.”
“If my teacher is willing to help, I can ask for feedback.”
And so on.
6. How much time do you have?
Ah, time…so important, and so slippery. Neurodivergent kids often struggle to estimate how long a task will take. This question encourages time-management skills and planning: “If you have X minutes, what should you prioritize?”
7. Where’s your good-enough threshold?
I ask myself this all the time. As an incorrigible perfectionist, I have to define “good enough” in advance; otherwise, I’ll iterate endlessly. Sometimes I even write notes to myself in Google Docs: "finish this draft and then stop! do not pass go! do not collect $200!” If you see those lines in a blog post, now you know the story.
8. How can you make your future self grateful?
For students with ADHD and executive function challenges, next week may as well be next century. These EF deficits make it difficult to connect the dots between present decisions and future outcomes, so kids can struggle to make choices that will pay off in the long run.
Try these scripts to make that future self more immediate:
“Imagine how you’ll feel at the end of the day after buckling down and finishing this project.”
“What about the opposite? How will you feel in six hours if you haven’t gotten started?”
“What can you do to make your future self happy?”
9. What’s the frog?
In the world of productivity methods, the frog represents the most intimidating, most dreaded to-do item. Gulping it down makes everything else feel easier.
After they finish
10. What helped you reach your goal?
This question’s beauty lies in its simplicity. A one-sentence answer can spark so much insight:
“It was really helpful when we talked through the prompt at the beginning.”
“I liked having a checklist.”
“The mini-deadlines kept me on track.”
These observations become a valuable resource for the next assignment.
11. When did you struggle, and how did you cope?
Mistakes + reflection = learning. I don’t have mathematical proof of this, but the anecdotal evidence is abundant.
This type of question also helps students respond productively to mistakes on quizzes and tests. Dr. Judy Willis, writing for Edutopia, suggests these reflection prompts:
“Did you leave questions unfinished at the end? If so, do you think you knew the answers to some of them?”
“Were any of your errors due to not following instructions? What could you do next time, such as underlining key words in instructions and rereading them before answering the questions?”
“Were mistakes made because you didn’t review sections of the test material, didn’t focus on the information you were given about what the test would cover, or didn’t ask for help to understand items you knew would be on the test but were confused about?”
Read the full article here.
12. How would you rate…?
I got this idea from an excellent blog post by Beth Moore School for Two Writing Teachers. She asks students to rate their agreement with statements like “I use the feedback my teacher and writing partner gave me” or “I made major revisions to my writing today.” These survey-style items make self-reflection more concrete and manageable. Other statements to try:
“I stayed focused during today’s work session.”
“I’m satisfied with how I used my time.”
“I followed the plan I created.”
“I persevered through boredom/frustration.”
“I put a reasonable effort into the task.”
13. What will you do next time?
This final question helps students synthesize all their great metacognitive knowledge and apply it to future challenges.
Take it a step further by having kids write a note-to-self after an assignment:
I accomplished my goal by…
I got stuck when…
I got unstuck by…
Next time, I’ll make sure to…
In the future, I want to avoid…
Featured image by Alexandra_Koch from Pixabay.
