Every teacher wants their pupils to become confident, independent learners, but how do we get children to truly understand how they learn best? That’s where metacognition comes in. Often described as “thinking about thinking,” metacognition helps our learners plan, monitor, and evaluate their learning. It can be introduced at a young age and is in fact more beneficial the earlier you start. A bonus for us teachers is that this isn’t an extra lesson to add into the already over packed timetable. Metacognitive skills need to be learned and implemented within the units of work you’re already doing.
What is metacognition?
Metacognitive skills refer to the ability to think about one’s own thinking. It’s about planning, monitoring and evaluating learning processes with the aim of improving understanding and performance. They help pupils become aware of how they learn and how to adjust their approach when faced with challenges. These skills are part of self-regulated learning, allowing students to become more independent and purposeful as they recognise what strategies work best for them in different contexts
Metacognitive Knowledge
This involves what learners know about learning itself, understanding how their minds work, what strategies they can use, and when to use them. It includes knowledge about:
- Themselves as learners (their strengths, learning preferences, and prior knowledge).
- Tasks: the kind of thinking or skills a task requires.
- Strategies: methods and tools they can use to succeed, such as summarising or self-questioning.
When pupils develop metacognitive knowledge, they start to make conscious decisions about how to approach tasks. They ask themselves questions like:
- What resources do I need?
- Why are those resources helpful?
- How will I use these resources effectively?
These reflective questions reduce stress, increase pupils’ confidence, and help them take ownership of their learning.
Metacognitive Regulation
Metacognitive regulation is how learners manage and adjust their learning in practice. It involves three main processes: planning, monitoring, and evaluating. For example, a child might plan how to approach a reading comprehension task, monitor their understanding as they read, and then evaluate what strategies worked best.
Just as learning to ride a bike or practising a musical instrument helps the brain form new neural pathways, metacognitive regulation helps children turn reflection into habit. The more they practise these thinking routines, the more natural they become. Using metacognitive approaches in the classroom doesn’t just improve academic outcomes. It builds learners who are curious, confident, and self-aware.
The Three Phases of Metacognition
Planning Phase
In the planning phase, learners consider their goals and decide how to tackle a learning task. This might involve recalling prior knowledge, predicting challenges, and selecting the tools they’ll need to succeed. Teachers can model this by thinking aloud: “What’s my goal? What steps should I take to get there?” At this stage, students might make a simple checklist or discuss strategies with a peer before starting. The key outcome is intentional decision-making where children learn that success begins with a clear sense of direction.
Monitoring Phase
This is the “doing” stage, where learners put their plans into action and keep track of their progress. They ask themselves reflective questions such as: “Is this working?” or “Do I need to try another strategy?” When learner who realises their initial approach isn’t effective, they learn to pivot, not panic. Teachers can support this by prompting learners to pause and reflect mid-task, encouraging dialogue about problem-solving processes rather than end results.
Evaluation Phase
Once a task is complete, pupils enter the evaluation phase. Here, they reflect on how well they met the learning goal and which strategies were most effective. This step deepens metacognitive knowledge and helps pupils apply successful strategies to future tasks. Teachers can use exit slips, reflection journals, or group discussions to help children identify what worked and what they’d do differently next time. Over time, this reflective practice fosters resilience, self-awareness, and a genuine sense of progress.
Together, these three phases form a cycle of improvement. The more often learners plan, monitor, and evaluate their thinking, the more their learning habits strengthen, building not only knowledge but the lifelong skill of thinking about how they think.
Practical Classroom Strategies for Metacognition
Effective metacognitive teaching involves helping pupils understand how to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own learning. These strategies create structured opportunities for reflection, self-questioning, and dialogue, turning metacognitive awareness into everyday classroom practice.
Model Thinking Aloud
Teachers can verbalise their thought process while solving a problem or analysing a text. For example: “I’m finding this part tricky. I’ll reread the question and underline the key words.” This helps pupils grasp the invisible process of how to approach a challenge.
Use Self-Questioning Prompts
Encourage children to ask themselves:
- What do I already know about this topic?
- What am I finding difficult?
- What could I do differently next time?
These prompts help pupils make conscious adjustments as they work.
Encourage Goal Setting and Reflection
Have pupils set realistic, specific goals (“I will use two descriptive sentences in my story”) and revisit them at the end of the lesson. Reflection sheets or exit tickets can help them evaluate what worked and what didn’t.
Use Reciprocal Teaching
Let pupils take turns leading a group discussion, where they explain their thinking, ask questions, clarify details, and summarise learning. This peer-led format encourages ownership of the learning process.
Traffic Light or Emoji Reflection
Use visual cues like coloured cards or emoji faces for students to quickly assess and share confidence levels with a concept: red for confusion, orange for partial understanding, and green for confidence.
3, 2, 1
Learners identify 3 things that went well, 2 things that didn’t, and 1 thing they would change.
Classroom Displays and Language of Learning
Display “thinking words” (predict, reason, reflect, evaluate) and class-created prompts such as “What helped me this time?” or “How did I fix my mistake?”. Embedding this language reinforces self-awareness and promotes reflective habits.
Graphic Organisers as Metacognitive Tools
Graphic organisers are powerful visual thinking tools that help learners plan, structure, and review their learning. They support all three phases of metacognition by making thinking visible. They work particularly well for younger children or visual learners who benefit from seeing connections between ideas.
Creating a metacognitive classroom doesn’t require huge change, it starts with small, purposeful habits. Asking reflective questions, modelling your own thought process, and celebrating the power of “I didn’t get it yet” can transform how pupils learn. Try ending your next lesson with one quick reflection question, and notice how it helps your learners tune in to their own thinking. Little by little, you’ll build a classroom full of reflective, self-aware learners ready to take on any challenge.
Miss Primary 
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