‘At appropriate points in our teaching, if we prompt students to externalise their thinking, it can lead to stronger learning than if we just let them think in more internalised ways.
For example, instead of just explaining an idea, if we also ask students to discuss it—or instead of just reading something, we also ask students to create a written summary in their own words—they are more likely to understand and remember better.
This is a fairly basic idea that will be intuitive to most teachers. However, just because it’s basic doesn’t mean it’s easy to apply in sophisticated ways.
Externalisation is the product of things like talking, writing, or drawing… in contrast to more internal thinking processes generated by things such as reading, watching, or listening.
It’s not that internal modes aren’t useful—just that they can be enhanced when combined with external modes.’ (https://snacks.pepsmccrea.com/p/externalising-thinking)
Externalising thinking—making invisible mental processes visible—is a high-impact, low-cost strategy that can boost student progress. Here are a few strategies to use in the classroom:
1. Narrate Your Own “Expert Flaws”
Instead of just showing the perfect solution, talk through your struggles. Try using “I statements” to jumpstart this. For example: “I’m looking at this paragraph and I’m actually a bit confused. I’m going to re-read this sentence because I think I missed a connection”.
2. Teacher Modelling: “Think Alouds“
The most direct way to externalise thinking is for the teacher to narrate their own expert thought process while tackling a task. For example:
3. Use “Talk Moves” to Build Ideas
Instead of a simple Q&A, treat the classroom like a building site where everyone adds a brick. You can use simple prompts to keep the energy going:
4. Collaborative Talk and Oracy
Structured discussion helps students to translate abstract ideas into concrete language.
5. Graphic and Visual Tools
Non-verbal methods help students organize complex information and reduce cognitive load.
6. Formative Reflection
‘…when students externalise their thinking, it can:
(https://snacks.pepsmccrea.com/p/externalising-thinking)
This blog was written by Bretta Townend-Jowitt, Education Consultant and Trainer.
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