Thinking tools for the classroom

Allow Time

A feedback strategy where learners are given dedicated time to read, understand and act on written feedback straight away, turning marking into genuine learning.

Assessment for learning

Ask the Audience

A questioning strategy where a learner who is struggling can call on classmates for help, reducing anxiety and keeping the whole class involved.

Discussion

Basketball Not Ping-Pong

A questioning approach where answers bounce between learners rather than back to the teacher, extending thinking sequences and keeping the whole class engaged.

Discussion

Big Questions

Open-ended, thought-provoking questions that push learners beyond simple recall into genuine problem-solving, reasoning and creative thinking.

Questioning

Caterpillar

A visual metacognition tool where learners build a growing caterpillar, with each body segment representing a step in their thinking journey.

Visual organisers

Choice of Answers

A low-risk questioning technique where learners choose between possible answers rather than generating their own, removing the fear of getting it wrong.

Questioning

Closing the Gap Comments

Focused written feedback that bridges the gap between what a learner has achieved and what they could achieve, using reminder, scaffolded or example prompts.

Assessment for learning

Collaboration in Formulating Questions

Teachers and learners work together to create high-quality questions, building a shared bank of powerful prompts that deepen thinking across lessons.

Questioning

Concept Cartoons

Cartoon-style illustrations showing characters with different viewpoints about a concept, prompting learners to discuss which ideas are correct and why.

Visual organisers

Concept Map

A diagram showing how ideas in a topic are connected, with labelled lines explaining the relationship between each pair of concepts.

Visual organisers

Design Swap

A paired strategy where learners design a plan or procedure for a task but then carry out someone else's design, forcing clear communication and critical evaluation.

Group work

Diamond Ranking

A prioritisation tool that gets learners discussing and defending what matters most, arranging ideas into a diamond shape that forces real choices.

Ranking & sorting

Dot Voting

A prioritisation tool where learners distribute a fixed number of votes across options to show what they think matters most, then justify their choices.

Ranking & sorting

Double Bubbles

A visual organiser with two central bubbles connected by shared and unique idea bubbles, helping learners compare and contrast two concepts.

Visual organisers

Dynamic Topic Starters

An opening activity where every learner brings one piece of relevant knowledge to share, building a collaborative display that activates prior learning and sparks curiosity.

Group work

Exam Question Analysis

A strategy where learners study the structure, language and mark allocation of exam questions to understand exactly what is being asked before they answer.

Assessment for learning

Exemplars

Real examples of work at different quality levels that learners compare and discuss to understand what success looks like before they begin their own task.

Assessment for learning

Exploring Wrong Answers

A feedback strategy where wrong answers are examined rather than dismissed, helping learners trace exactly where their thinking went off track.

Assessment for learning

Feedback Using Comments Only

A marking approach where teachers provide written comments without grades, marks or levels, because research shows grades destroy the learning value of feedback.

Assessment for learning

Fishbone Diagram

A graphical organiser shaped like a fish skeleton where causes branch off a central spine leading to an effect, helping learners map cause-and-effect relationships.

Visual organisers

Fortune Lines

A graph where learners plot how the fortunes or feelings of a character change over time, combining sequencing, interpretation and emotional understanding.

Visual organisers

Graphic Organiser to Monitor Progress

A flexible flowchart where learners plan their approach, track what they actually do, and annotate changes along the way, making their thinking process visible.

Visual organisers

Ground Rules for Talk

Learner-generated rules for how to discuss, disagree and collaborate effectively, making group talk more productive and inclusive.

Discussion

Group Responses

A discussion technique where groups negotiate a shared answer and a spokesperson presents it, ensuring all learners contribute and reducing individual anxiety.

Group work

Group Work on Big Copies of Exam Questions

Groups tackle super-sized laminated exam questions together, drafting answers collaboratively before marking their own work against success criteria.

Group work

Hot Seating

A role-play activity where one learner takes on a character or expert role and the class asks them questions, developing both questioning skills and deeper understanding.

Discussion

Increase Thinking Time

A deliberate pause of at least five seconds after asking a question, giving all learners time to formulate a thoughtful response rather than blurting out the first thing that comes to mind.

Discussion

Instant Feedback

Feedback given as close to the task as possible, focused on the learning objective and success criteria, so learners can act on it immediately.

Assessment for learning

Jigsawing

A cooperative learning strategy where each group researches a different piece of a puzzle, then shares their findings so the whole class can solve the bigger problem.

Group work

Just a Minute

Based on the Radio 4 game, learners attempt to talk for sixty seconds on a topic without hesitation, repetition or deviation, developing fluency and quick thinking.

Discussion

KWL/KWHL Grids

A simple grid where learners record what they Know, what they Want to find out, How they will find out, and what they have Learned, structuring inquiry from start to finish.

Visual organisers

Learners Set Questions

A strategy where learners generate their own questions about a topic, developing deeper understanding because creating good questions requires more thinking than answering them.

Questioning

Learning Logs

A structured record where learners regularly reflect on what they have learned, how they learned it, and what they need to work on next.

Assessment for learning

Lily-Pads

A visual progress tracker where each lily-pad or stepping stone represents a success criterion, and learners move their marker forward as they meet each one.

Visual organisers

Living Graphs

An interactive graph where learners place statement cards at the correct position on pre-labelled axes, exploring cause and effect, change over time, and spatial relationships.

Visual organisers

MKO (More Knowledgeable Other)

A peer learning strategy where learners who have mastered a concept are identified and made available as experts to support others, drawing on Vygotsky's zone of proximal development.

Group work

Memory Diagram

A recall activity where learners study a diagram briefly, then try to recreate it from memory, developing observation skills and understanding of how information is organised.

Visual organisers

Mind Mapping

A visual organiser where ideas branch outward from a central topic, using colour, images and keywords to map connections and generate new thinking.

Visual organisers

Mini-Whiteboards

A whole-class response tool where every learner writes their answer on a small whiteboard and holds it up simultaneously, giving the teacher instant feedback on understanding.

Assessment for learning

Most Likely To

A prediction and reasoning activity where learners evaluate a set of options and decide which is most likely to meet a given criterion, justifying their choice with evidence.

Ranking & sorting

Mysteries

An inquiry activity where learners receive a set of information cards and must sort, connect and use them to solve an open-ended question, developing reasoning and evidence-handling skills.

Questioning

Next Steps

A feedback strategy where the teacher provides specific, actionable comments that show learners exactly what to do to improve, rather than simply grading or praising their work.

Assessment for learning

No Hands Up

A questioning strategy where the teacher selects who answers rather than relying on raised hands, ensuring all learners are engaged and accountable for thinking.

Discussion

Odd One Out

A quick classification tool where learners choose which item doesn't belong in a set and, crucially, explain why.

Ranking & sorting

PMI Diagram

A structured evaluation tool where learners consider the Plus, Minus and Interesting aspects of an idea, preventing snap judgements by requiring deliberate consideration of multiple perspectives.

Ranking & sorting

Patchwork Thinking

A collaborative strategy where each learner or group contributes a piece to a larger visual display, building collective understanding by assembling individual insights into a shared whole.

Group work

Peer Marking

A structured assessment strategy where learners evaluate each other's work against clear success criteria, developing their ability to identify quality and give constructive feedback.

Assessment for learning

Phone a Friend

A peer support strategy where a learner who is stuck can ask a classmate for help, modelling real-world problem-solving where seeking help is a skill, not a weakness.

Group work

Placemat Activities

A structured group discussion tool where each learner records their individual thinking in their own section of a shared sheet before the group synthesises ideas in a central shared space.

Group work

Poker Face

A teacher behaviour strategy where the teacher maintains a neutral expression when receiving learner responses, avoiding facial cues that signal right or wrong, so learners must evaluate their own answers.

Discussion

Post-it Challenge 1

A retrieval activity where learners write everything they can remember about a topic on individual Post-it notes, then sort and organise them to reveal the structure of their knowledge.

Assessment for learning

Post-it Challenge 2

A collaborative retrieval activity where groups build on each other's knowledge by adding Post-it notes to a shared display, filling gaps and correcting errors as they rotate between stations.

Group work

Priority Pyramid

A simpler alternative to diamond ranking where learners stack ideas into a pyramid, placing the most important at the top and working down.

Ranking & sorting

Pros and Cons

A simple evaluation framework where learners list the advantages and disadvantages of an idea, decision, or course of action, developing balanced judgement and argumentation skills.

Ranking & sorting

QuADS Grids

A question-classification tool where learners sort questions into four categories based on where the answer can be found: in the text, in my head, in another source, or it cannot be answered.

Questioning

Quescussion

A discussion format where participants may only contribute questions, never statements or answers, creating a deep exploration of a topic through the power of questioning alone.

Questioning

Question Bubbles

A visual scaffold where question stems are displayed in speech bubbles around a central stimulus, prompting learners to generate questions at different cognitive levels.

Questioning

Question Walls

A classroom display where learner-generated questions are posted, categorised, and revisited over time, creating a visible record of the class's evolving inquiry.

Questioning

Questionnaire

A research tool where learners design, distribute, and analyse their own questionnaires, developing skills in question design, data collection, and interpretation.

Questioning

Random Partners

A classroom management strategy where partners or respondents are selected randomly rather than by choice or ability, ensuring all learners work with different people and every voice is heard.

Group work

Reflection Triangles

A visual self-assessment tool where learners rate their understanding, effort, or progress on three dimensions, plotting their position on a triangular diagram to create a balanced reflection.

Assessment for learning

Review of Summative Tests

A post-assessment strategy where learners analyse their test performance to identify patterns in their understanding, turning a summative assessment into a formative learning opportunity.

Assessment for learning

Self-Marking

A self-assessment strategy where learners evaluate their own work against clear criteria, developing the ability to judge quality and identify areas for improvement independently.

Assessment for learning

Sequencing

An ordering activity where learners arrange a set of statements, events, images, or steps into a logical or chronological sequence, developing understanding of process, cause and effect, and narrative structure.

Visual organisers

Snowball Challenge

A collaborative activity where ideas grow progressively as learners work first alone, then in pairs, then in fours, building and refining their thinking at each stage like a snowball gathering mass.

Group work

Source Square

A structured analysis tool where learners examine a source from four perspectives, each occupying one quadrant of a square: content, origin, purpose, and reliability.

Visual organisers

Splat!

A fast-paced whole-class game where learners race to identify the correct answer on a board display by being the first to "splat" it with their hand, combining retrieval practice with physical engagement.

Assessment for learning

Success Book

A class or individual record book where examples of work that meets or exceeds success criteria are collected and celebrated, providing concrete models of quality for future reference.

Assessment for learning

Taboo

A word game where learners must describe a key term without using a set of "taboo" words, forcing them to demonstrate genuine understanding rather than rehearsed definitions.

Discussion

Talk Partners

A structured paired discussion strategy where learners are paired to discuss ideas, rehearse answers, or solve problems together before sharing with the wider class.

Discussion

Temporary Comments

A feedback strategy where the teacher writes brief comments on learner work during the lesson using sticky notes or erasable markers, providing immediate guidance that learners act on before the lesson ends.

Assessment for learning

Think-Pair-Share

A three-stage discussion framework where learners first think individually, then discuss with a partner, then share with the wider group, ensuring all learners engage with the question before whole-class discussion.

Discussion

Thinking Hats

Edward de Bono's structured thinking tool where six coloured hats represent different modes of thinking, allowing learners to explore a topic from multiple perspectives systematically.

Ranking & sorting

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down

A quick whole-class self-assessment where learners indicate their confidence level by showing thumbs up (confident), thumbs sideways (partly confident), or thumbs down (not confident).

Assessment for learning

Tickled Pink/Green for Growth

A colour-coded feedback system where pink highlights strengths (things the teacher is "tickled pink" about) and green highlights areas for growth, making feedback visual and immediately actionable.

Assessment for learning

Traffic Lighting

A self-assessment system where learners indicate their understanding using traffic light colours: green (confident), amber (partly confident), and red (not confident), providing instant visual feedback to teacher and learner.

Assessment for learning

Triangles

A quick self-assessment tool where learners shade sections of a triangle to indicate their understanding of three related learning objectives, creating a visual snapshot of their progress.

Assessment for learning

Two or Three Stars and a Wish

A feedback framework where learners identify two or three strengths (stars) in a piece of work and one area for improvement (a wish), creating balanced feedback that motivates and guides.

Assessment for learning

Venn Diagrams

A visual comparison tool using overlapping circles where learners place items that are unique to each category in the outer sections and shared characteristics in the overlapping centre.

Visual organisers

What Happens Next?

A prediction activity where learners are given a scenario, narrative, or process at a critical point and must predict what will happen next, justifying their prediction with reasoning and evidence.

Ranking & sorting

Who-What-When-Where-Why-How?

A comprehensive questioning framework that uses the six fundamental questions to ensure learners explore a topic from all angles, preventing gaps in their understanding.

Questioning

Whole and Part

An analytical tool where learners examine how individual parts contribute to a whole, developing understanding of systems, structures, and the relationships between components.

Visual organisers

Writing Journals

A sustained reflective writing practice where learners maintain a journal to record thoughts, observations, questions, and reflections on their learning over time.

Assessment for learning

Wrong Answers Collected and Used

A teaching strategy where the teacher deliberately collects common wrong answers and uses them as the basis for class discussion, helping learners understand why errors occur and how to avoid them.

Assessment for learning