This document describes a thinking routine called "Colour-Symbol-Image" where students make connections between the content they are learning and their own experiences. For each main idea, students choose a color, symbol, and picture to represent it. Recently, students used this routine to reflect on books teaching positive values like generosity, honesty, and prudence. They provided examples like choosing the color red for generosity because it comes from the heart, or a picture of a child helping another with a rope to represent prudence. The routine allows students to make their own interpretations as long as they provide reasoning.

1. María Arredondo
Colour- Symbol- Image
Colour- Symbol- Image is thinking routine that allow children to make their own connections.
With this routine students connect the content with their own experiences and realities. The
best thing about this thinking routine is that there is no good or bad answer as long as
students provide a good reason for it. With this routine we develop different thinking skills:
- Selecting main ideas
- Making connections
- Providing reasons
This thinking routine can be used in any context or area. The input provided can be given in
any format written for example a story, oral like a song or visual like a video.
Once the students have the input, they have to highlight and choose three main ideas. For
each idea students will have to chose a colour, a symbol and a picture that represent that idea.
Recently we used this thinking routine to reflect on some books that teach positive values. All
together in the classroom we chose three values: Generosity, honesty and prudence. Here are
some examples provided by the children:
- Color- generosity: Red because generosity comes from the heart
- Color- generosity: Pink because I like generosity and pink is my favorite color
- Honesty - Symbol: A speech bubble closed because we shouldn´t
- Honesty- Symbol: An empty box because if we don´t say the true we will be alone
- Prudency – picture: A child helping another one with a rope because we need to help
others.