11/28/2023 0 Comments Kindergarten class![]() ![]() ![]() We began our journey by learning about and experiencing the thinking routines and then choosing one to focus on all year with our class. I began working at Two Rivers in the fall of 2018 and had a lot to learn my first year about the “Two Rivers Way,” so I didn’t feel like I was able to dive into thinking routines in a way I wanted. When Two Rivers invited educators to participate in a Deeper Learning Cohort last summer I jumped on the opportunity. Teaching Kindergarteners to Be Effective ReasonersĬhelsea Rivas, Kindergarten Teacher at Two Rivers Public Charter School The stories of two kindergarten teachers illustrate the power of providing both an opportunity for five and six year-olds to think critically and the structure to support that thinking. ![]() The power of this work has been highlighted for all of us as we saw kindergarten students demonstrate an ability to formulate reasoned arguments with specific support. Finally, we learned how analyzing student thinking as exhibited in student work can be leveraged to deepen our students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills. We developed understanding of performance task design and how that translates into the experiences we provide for students everyday. We dived into understanding how the language of rubrics can be used to define these constructs but have limitations when applied across multiple contexts. Specifically, we learned about three thinking routines that provide a structure for helping students think critically and problem-solve. This group of dedicated teachers from prekindergarten through 8th grade gathered at convenings over the course of this past school year to explore what it means to help students think more deeply about what they are learning. Twenty-four educators from schools across the city participated to learn how to deepen their students’ thinking through the use of thinking routines with aligned rubrics and performance assessments. Two Rivers Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., is wrapping up our second Deeper Learning Cohort. Kindergarteners were thinking critically! These skills are all good for middle and high school students and maybe upper elementary kids, but kindergarteners? However, I was in a kindergarten class recently where five and six year-olds were making evidenced-based claims and critiquing the arguments of each other. I’ve argued elsewhere that yes, we can define, teach, and assess critical thinking skills, but I know what you are probably thinking. ![]()
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