Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Vocabulary for Essential Thinking Skills

Toward A Mindful Language Of Learning

Years of research have shown that the close, intertwined relationship of language and thought. In fact, the cognitive processes that children derive are embedded in the vocabulary, inflections, and syntax of adults' language. Through these interactions in their formative years, children develop foundations of thought that endure throughout their lives. (Vygotsky, 1962)

Language is the foundation for the essential thinking skills. A person must have both inner and expressive language to develop critical thinking skills. For example, if students do not have an inner language (talking to themselves), they will have difficulty thinking through a problem or being aware of their own thinking so they can use what they have learned in other situations. If a person does not have expressive language (talking to others), they will be unable to participate in social thinking or to articulate questions.

We can all develop the habit of thinking and communicating with clarity and precision. In so doing, we educate students' cognitive structures, which ultimately leads to increased academic performance. Today's blog contains suggestions for vocabulary, synonyms, key terms, and word phrases that stand for and convey meanings similar to the terms used for each essential thinking skill.

Vocabulary

Persisting:
  • Never give up
  • Perseverance
  • Indefatigable
  • Focused
  • Try and try again
  • Stamina
  • Continuing
  • Stand your ground
  • Undaunted
  • Drive
  • Relentless
  • Sustained
  • Systematic
  • Tenacity
  • Diligence
  • Reliant
  • Enduring
  • Stick-to-it-tiveness
  • Hang in there
  • Hang tough
Managing Impulsivity:
  • Think before you act
  • Deliberate
  • Strategic
  • Thoughtful
  • Patient
  • Mediate
  • Self-regulated
  • Calm
  • Reflective
  • Controlled
  • Count to 10
  • Wait time
  • Take a deep breath
  • Planned
  • Considered
Listening With Empathy And Understanding:
  • Empathic
  • Tuned in
  • Mirroring
  • Attentive
  • Attuned
  • Caring
  • Concentrate
  • Paraphrase
  • Respectful
  • Focused
  • Summarizing
  • Compassionate
Thinking Flexibly:
  • Adaptable
  • Bendable
  • Options
  • Changing
  • Open-minded
  • Diversity
  • Alternatives
  • Expandable
  • Plasticity
  • Lateral thinking
  • Pliable
  • Creative
  • Different points of view
  • Resilient
  • Different perspectives
  • Growing
  • Multiple solutions
  • Fluent
  • Repertoire
  • Many possibilities
Questioning And Posing Problems:
  • Quest
  • Interested
  • Probing
  • Investigative
  • Clarifying
  • Curious
  • Interrogative
  • Inquisitive
  • Skeptical
  • Cautious
  • Inquiry
  • Query
  • Seeking
  • Proof
  • Delving
  • Speculative
  • Qualify
  • Hypothetical
  • Perplexing
Applying Past Knowledge To New Situations:
  • Re-use
  • Recycle
  • Draw forth
  • Know your resources
  • Reminds me...
  • Remember
  • Recall
  • Apply
  • Bridge
  • Transfer
  • Use again
  • Prior knowledge
  • Scaffolding
  • Just like the time when...
  • Similar situations
  • Reservoir of knowledge/experiences
  • Transform
  • Translate
  • Implementation
  • Utilize
Gathering Data Through All Senses:
  • Engaged
  • Involvement
  • Perceptions
  • Sensing
  • Hands-on
  • Interactive
  • Touch
  • Concrete
  • Physical, visual, tactual, kinesthetic
  • Feel it
  • Experiential
  • Perceptual acuity
  • Clarity
  • Sensitivity
  • Move it
  • Dance
  • Auditory, gustatory, olfactory
  • Sensitivities
  • Sensations
Creating, Imagining, Innovating:
  • Unique
  • Productive
  • Fertile
  • Generative
  • Brainstorm
  • Prolific
  • Imaginative
  • New
  • Fresh
  • Ingenious
  • Novel
  • Fecund
  • Fluent
  • Engender
  • Unconventional
  • Inventive
  • Clever
  • Divergent
  • Artistic
  • Innovative
  • Spontaneous
Taking Responsible Risks:
  • Bold
  • Adventuresome
  • Courageous
  • New pathways
  • Exploration
  • Daring
  • Pathfinders
  • Unconventional
  • Gamble
  • Living on the edge
  • Vagabond
  • Venture
  • Challenged
  • Roving
  • Individualistic
  • Free-spirited
  • Do your thing
  • Just do it
Thinking Interdependently:
  • Cooperative
  • Collegial
  • Congenial
  • Collaborative
  • Sense of community
  • Family
  • Interdependence
  • Interconnected
  • Support group
  • Teamwork
  • Reciprocity
  • Synergistic
  • Mutual
  • Harmonious
  • Amicable
  • Social
  • Reciprocal
  • Companionship
Remaining Open To Continuous Learning:
  • Continuous learning
  • Lifelong learning
  • Problem finding
  • Insatiable
  • Inquisitive
  • Self-modifying
  • Self-help
  • Self-evaluating
  • Continual learner
  • Perpetual student
  • Failing forward
  • Learning from experience
  • Self-actualizing
  • Mastery
  • Commitment
Thinking and communicating with clarity and precision:
  • Articulate
  • Choice of words
  • Grammatically correct
  • Communicative
  • Enunciate
  • Command of the language
  • Eloquent
  • Define your term
  • Editing

Striving for accuracy:
  • Correct
  • Craftsmanlike
  • Check it out
  • Refine
  • Adroit
  • Hit the bull's-eye
  • Sharp
  • Perfection
  • On target
  • Exactness
  • Clear
  • Specific
  • Stamina
  • Proof
  • Flawless
  • Effortless
  • Quality
  • Surety
  • Mastery
  • Ensure
  • Quality control
  • Fit
  • Uncompromising
  • Zero tolerance
  • Finished

Metacognition:
  • Self-aware
  • Awareness
  • Thinking aloud
  • Reflective
  • Strategic planning
  • Have a plan in mind
  • Self-evaluative
  • Thinking about your thinking
  • Knowing what you know and what you don't know
  • Mental map
  • Talking to yourself
  • Inner dialogue
  • Self-monitoring
  • Inside your head
  • Inner thoughts
  • Inner feeling
  • Talk-aloud problem solving
  • Consciousness
  • Alertness
  • Cognizance

Responding with wonderment and and awe:
  • Wondrous
  • Alive
  • Sensation
  • Aha!
  • Amazed/Amazement
  • Appreciation
  • Far out
  • Astounding
  • Fascination
  • Excitement
  • Phenomenon
  • Awesome
  • Passionate
  • Marvel
  • Exuberant
  • Way cool
  • Miraculous
  • Energized
  • Challenged
  • Insatiable
  • Wide-eyed
  • Mysterious
  • Visionary
  • Obsessed
  • Motivated
  • Enthralled
  • Surprised
  • Transfixed
Finding humor:
  • Laughable
  • Laugh at yourself
  • Funny
  • Comic
  • Comedian
  • Absurd
  • Bizarre
  • Pun
  • Jokester
  • Irony
  • Satirical
  • Clown
  • Playful
  • Caricature
  • Fanciful
  • Whimsical
  • Capricious
  • Comedy
  • Wittiness
  • Funnybone
  • Merry disposition

In an upcoming post I am going to discuss the Habits Of The Mind Standards, how I began my school year. I will also recommend a few children's picture books to introduce a lesson.

Happy reading:)
Best,
Debra








     

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