Lessons involving higher order thinking skills require particular clarify of communication to reduce ambiguity and confusion and improve student attitudes about thinking tasks. Lesson plans should include modeling of thinking skills, examples of applied thinking, and adaptations for diverse student needs. Scaffolding (giving students support at the beginning of a lesson and gradually requiring students to operate independently) helps students develop higher order learning skills. However, too much or little support can hinder development. Useful learning strategies include rehearsal, elaboration, organization, and meta cognition. Lessons should be specifically designed to teach specific learning strategies. Direct instruction (teacher-centered presentations of information) should be used sparingly Presentations should be short (up to five minutes) and coupled with guided practice to teach sub skills and knowledge. Teacher and/or student-generated questions about dilemmas, novel problems, and novel approaches should elicit answers that have not been learned already. Sincere feedback providing immediate, specific, and corrective information should inform learners of their progress.
Source: Teaching strategies for HOTs
