Thinking Habits by TeachThought
The Thinking Habits Framework
Twelve repeatable practices that help students ask better questions, reason with care, and regulate their thinking as they learn.
The 12 habits
Ask & Refine Questions
Ask questions, then refine them as understanding develops.
Question Assumptions
Examine what is taken for granted.
Consider Alternatives
Consider more than one viewpoint, perspective, or possibility.
Identify Knowledge Gaps
Assess what you know in relation to what you need to know for a purpose or circumstance.
Evaluate Credibility
Examine the trustworthiness of sources and claims.
Determine Relevance
Identify how or why something is important or useful in a specific context.
Support Claims
Use quality, relevant, accurate, well-considered evidence to justify claims.
Examine Patterns and Relationships
Analyze patterns and relationships among ideas, information, and data.
Narrow or Broaden Thinking
Shift between specific details and the larger context to see patterns and relationships.
Document, Organize, and Revisit Thinking
Document and organize thinking to support reflection, study, and revision.
Examine Influences on Thinking
Examine the forces that shape what and how you think.
Delay or Suspend Judgment
Withhold judgment when evidence or understanding is incomplete.
How the framework works
Teaching for Thinking
The habits give teachers and students a shared language for naming the kinds of (cognitive and behavioral) habits that support critical reasoning. They can be taught directly, embedded in existing lessons, or used to notice and respond to student work.
Download the Thinking Habits Framework
Keep a copy of the framework to refer to as you plan lessons and work with students.
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