Effects of a Cognitive Acceleration Programme on Year 1 pupils (Updated)

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What happened in a classroom activity?

The authors explained the pattern which each activity followed. There was an initial ‘concrete preparation’ in which the situation, apparatus, and any unfamiliar words and phrases were introduced. Next, there was a phase of cognitive challenge in which the problem was presented. The difficulties became apparent at this stage as attempts were made to find a solution. All the pupils were engaged in constructing a new understanding. Metacognition may occur at this stage but it often follows the activity when pupils articulate what they did to solve the problem. Finally, there was a bridging phase when the teacher presented other situations for the pupils to apply the schema to.

(Click here for an explanation of the words used in this paragraph.)

The authors provided a detailed description to illustrate what went on during an activity. It began with the concrete preparation stage:

the teacher placed a stick on the table and the 6 pupils and the teacher then discussed what to call it.;
the teacher produced a second stick, and introduced the phrases ‘longer than’ and ‘shorter than’ which the children then practised; and
the teacher then placed a third stick on the table so that pupils developed the idea that a stick may be shorter than and longer than at the same time.

There then followed the stage of conflict/construction:

the teacher produced ten sticks of different lengths;
the pupils had to place them in order from longest to shortest. This involved prompting by the teacher to ensure that all participated and that they explained and justified their actions to each other; and
once the order had been agreed the teacher gave out sticks of intermediate length to each child and the pupils had to site them correctly between the other sticks, with the pupils again explaining their strategies.

A metacognitive stage followed in which pupils reflected on how they tackled the tasks, what they found difficult and how they overcame the difficulties.

Finally, the teacher asked questions designed to encourage ‘bridging’ in which the children apply the reasoning they used to put things in order in a new situation.

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Research Home Themes \| Find digests \| About the digests resources glossary researchers contact TRIPS Introduction What did the research show? What is cognitive intervention all about? How was the research designed? What were the main components of the programme? What were the characteristic features of the activities used in the project? What happened in a classroom activity? How did the pupils benefit? How were the teachers prepared for the intervention? Which tests were used on the pupils? Implications Where can I find out more? Send us your feedback Collated digests To find out more about collated digests click here Get Word Reader Effects of a Cognitive Acceleration Programme on Year 1 pupils (Updated) This digest found in Thinking skills Send to a friend Word doc 100KB Printer friendly Collate for later What happened in a classroom activity? The authors explained the pattern which each activity followed. There was an initial ‘concrete preparation’ in which the situation, apparatus, and any unfamiliar words and phrases were introduced. Next, there was a phase of cognitive challenge in which the problem was presented. The difficulties became apparent at this stage as attempts were made to find a solution. All the pupils were engaged in constructing a new understanding. Metacognition may occur at this stage but it often follows the activity when pupils articulate what they did to solve the problem. Finally, there was a bridging phase when the teacher presented other situations for the pupils to apply the schema to. (Click here for an explanation of the words used in this paragraph.) The authors provided a detailed description to illustrate what went on during an activity. It began with the concrete preparation stage: the teacher placed a stick on the table and the 6 pupils and the teacher then discussed what to call it.; the teacher produced a second stick, and introduced the phrases ‘longer than’ and ‘shorter than’ which the children then practised; and the teacher then placed a third stick on the table so that pupils developed the idea that a stick may be shorter than and longer than at the same time. There then followed the stage of conflict/construction: the teacher produced ten sticks of different lengths; the pupils had to place them in order from longest to shortest. This involved prompting by the teacher to ensure that all participated and that they explained and justified their actions to each other; and once the order had been agreed the teacher gave out sticks of intermediate length to each child and the pupils had to site them correctly between the other sticks, with the pupils again explaining their strategies. A metacognitive stage followed in which pupils reflected on how they tackled the tasks, what they found difficult and how they overcame the difficulties. Finally, the teacher asked questions designed to encourage ‘bridging’ in which the children apply the reasoning they used to put things in order in a new situation.