Using visible thinking routines across subjects

Make thinking visible, not invisible

Students walk out of most lessons with answers but no idea how they got there. They can't replay the thinking process. Visible thinking routines flip that — they make the cognitive work transparent, repeatable, and transferable across subjects.

A visible thinking routine is a simple protocol that prompts reflection. "Think Pair Share" is one. "What Makes You Say That?" is another. Harvard's Project Zero has dozens. They take 5–10 minutes, work in any subject, and train brains to think deliberately.

Five routines you can use Monday

1. Think-Pair-Share (5 min)
You ask a question or show an image. Students think silently for 1 minute. Pair with a neighbour and share for 2 minutes. Call out: "Who wants to share what your partner said?" (Keeps responsibility on listening to peers, not rehearsing their own answer.)

Works everywhere: maths ("How would you solve this?"), science ("What's happening here?"), history ("Why do you think that happened?"), art ("What's the artist trying to show?").

2. What Makes You Say That? (8 min)
Student makes a claim. You ask: "What makes you say that?" They find evidence — text, observation, prior knowledge. They're forced to justify thinking, not just assert opinion.

3. See-Think-Wonder (10 min)
Show an image, object, or phenomenon.
See: What do you literally observe? (No interpretation, just facts.)
Think: What ideas or explanations come to mind?
Wonder: What questions emerge?
Perfect for science observation, art analysis, historical photos.

4. I Used To Think... Now I Think (5 min)**
At the end of a lesson or unit: "I used to think..." (old understanding), "Now I think..." (new understanding). Makes learning visible. Celebrates growth. Shows how thinking evolved.

How I use these in Year 5

Why it matters