What If …?

Take some time to completely let go of rigid thinking patterns, to break traditional mind sets and encourage creative thinking.

Give the “What If …” questions a try!

Then, try to create some on your own!

July 16, 20125:00 – 6:00

Welcome to Irwin’s K-1 LI/TD PLC

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Tonight’s Agenda1. Welcome and hellos

2. Review our PLC’s Norms

3. CogAT review & tips

4. Anchor Activity Review: What if …

5. Questioning: An Overview

6. Q & A

Thinking ahead … Our next meeting is August 20, 2012 @ 6:00

Today became great when you arrived!

Thank you for coming!

Let’s introduce ourselves…Hello! Your NameChild’s name & rising grade level

Our PLC’s Norms

Start & End on Time

Cell phones on silent

Materials and/or “Take Aways” will be made available on-line or as hard copies

Respect All Ideas

Present & Engaged

Listen Attentively & Participate

A Brace Map: CogAT Basics

CogAT

Verbal

Quantitative

Nonverbal

Picture AnalogiesSentence Completion

Picture Classification

Number AnalogiesNumber PuzzlesNumber Series

Figure MatricesPaper FoldingFigure Classification

CogAT Tips

Take the pressure off! Play a game Read a good book Ask your child how he/she is feeling and give

reassuranceGet a good night’s sleepEat a good breakfastEncourage good listening skills and patience

Love your child for who they are!

Questioning to Encourage THINKING

Recall (skinny) Procedural (skinny)--------------------------

Foster Thinking (fat)

Fat and Skinny Questions

How do these two questions differ? How many legs do you have? How would your life be different if you had three legs?

“ The three legs question is fat because it takes up a lot of space in your brain to think of an answer. The two legs is sknny because it hardly takes up any thinking space.”

- Mackenzie, 2nd grade

Questioning

When your child asks, “Why?”

Be a consultant! Help your child apply, analyze and evaluate.Create an atmosphere that is safe and

encourages: Mental risks Processing time Open mindedness Creativity Security in thinking

Questioning

Example Question: - Why do cars have doors?

Example Responses:

- Good question, what do you think about that? - Good question, how could you find out? - I don’t know, what ideas do you have?

Fat Vs. Skinny Questions

Fat Question Starters Skinny Question StartersHow might …? How many …?Who should …? Who was …?When might …? When did …?Predict … What is …?Why do you think …? Can …?Where might…? Where did …?In what ways …? Did …?What do you think about …? Will…?Why do you agree/disagree with …?

Do you agree/disagree with …?

What advice would you give ….? How did …?What else could …? What did …?

Questioning

Question Stems What if… How many ways … / What are all the ways … How would you feel if … What belongs…

Ex. Find 3 things that belong together and one that does not. Explain…

How come …How are ___ and ___ alike/different?

Blue & Purple Blue jeans and blue jays The sky and elephants Mailboxes and Lakes

Wait Time

Provide time for reflection

Children my be resistant to “having to think”

Increasing the wait time and you increase the quality of the questions you ask

A typical adult waits only 2.5 seconds for a child to respond to a question. Slowly work up to a “wait time” of 10 seconds or more.

Stop answering ALL our own questions. Research indicates we answer nearly 90% of our own questions. Try to lower to 50% or less.

Discussion

Q&A

Next Time …CogAT Prep continued – August 20, 2012 @ 6 pm

Review of Purchased Materials

Building Thinking Skills

CogAT prep

Others?