The document discusses reasons for teaching thinking skills to pre-school children. It argues that very young children are able to think and learn, but their thinking is reactive unless cognitive tools are developed. These tools help children direct their own attention, take responsibility for learning, and develop skills like abstract thinking and problem solving. The document provides examples of activities that can help develop cognitive tools in pre-schoolers, including role playing, following rules, developing imagination and categorization. It emphasizes building these skills through English lessons can boost literacy, creativity and social-emotional development in young learners.

1. Thinking skills training in English
with pre-school children
Herbert Puchta
facebook.com/herbertpuchta.elt
@herbertpuchta
www.herbertpuchta.com

2. Content
• Reasons for teaching thinking skills
at pre-primary level
• Practical examples
• Q&A

3. Do we want
Teaching the
this?
very
young:
Do we want this?

4. Do we want this?
• Very young children are able to think, attend and
remember, BUT their thinking, attending and memory
are very reactive.
• Example - TV: fast paced, loud, lots of movement,
colourful, constantly changing scenes
• ‘Reactive learners’ need fast-paced sensory
bombardment to learn even very simple information!
The attention grabbing approach
Bodrova/Leong, Tools of the Mind, p.
5

5. Do we want
Teaching the
this?
very
young:
Or do we want this?

6. Or do we want this?
• children who can direct their attention, memory and
problem-solving skills on their own
• children who are gradually taking more and more
responsibility for their learning
• children who have mental tools at their disposal
that help them to attend, remember and think
better
Learning as a self directed activity
Bodrova/Leong, Tools of the Mind, p.
5

7. Tools of the mind extend our cognitive
capabilities. Their absence will have
serious long-term consequences on
the child’s development. Without them
children will not be able to pay
attention. They will have poor memory
skills, and will not be able to engage in
abstract thinking.

8. Tools of the mind
reduce the workload
for the teacher.

9. Cognitive tools - what for?
• Cognitive tools are to the mind what physical
•
•
•
tools are to the body.
Cognitive tools enable us to make plans, work
in teams, and solve complex problems.
Cognitive tools enable us to control our
feelings and our behaviour.
Cognitive tools dramatically improve our
memory skills.

10. Cognitive tools to emerge
by the end of kindergarten
•Symbolic use of objects, actions, words and people
•Thinking on an internal plane
•Divergent thinking
•Self-regulation
•Integration of emotions and thinking
literacy
abstract thinking
problem solving
thinking before acting
creativity

11. Cognitive, social and emotional development
through
• developing students’ imagination
• taking on and acting out roles
• following a set of rules determined by
specific roles

12. Kindergarten ELT - cognitive tool development
IMAGINATION
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•
•
•
•
action stories
stories
role play
art and drawing
silence (private speech - inner speech verbal thinking)

13. Kindergarten ELT - cognitive tool development
ROLES
•
•
•
storytelling (imagination)
role play (imagination, roles, rules!)
silence (private speech - inner speech verbal thinking)

14. Kindergarten ELT - cognitive tool development
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
RULES
sensomotoric thinking (self regulation!)
awareness of values (stories)
games
role play
patterns (rhythm / rhyme / chants / songs /
logical sequences)
planning (self regulation!)
routines

15. Language and the development of cognitive tools
(Kieran Egan)
• rhythm and rhyme
• Images and imaginative thinking
• story thinking
• small talk

16. Teaching Young Learners to Think Categories:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Comparisons
Categorising
Sequencing
Focusing attention
Memorising
Exploring space
• Exploring time
• Exploring numbers
• Creating associations
• Cause and effect
• Making decisions
Teaching Young Learners to Think
Helbling Languages
Puchta H., M. Williams, 2012

20. HOORAY! Let’s Play!
SB + Audio-CD
TB + 2 Audio-CDs + DVD-ROM
Cartoon Stories DVD
Cards Set (flashcards + story cards)
Interactive Whiteboard software
Peter the Panda puppet

21. Thank you!
Herbert Puchta
facebook.com/herbertpuchta.elt
@herbertpuchta
www.herbertpuchta.com

22. WEBinar:
Thinking skills training in English
with pre-school children
with
HERBERT PUCHTA
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS