Metacognition

Active learning encourages metacognition in children. This metacognition requires them to think about their thinking, through opportunities to plan, monitor, evaluate and make changes to progress their learning.

Metacognition describes the processes involved when children plan, monitor, evaluate and make changes to their own learning behaviours.

The approach to metacognition, and to active learning in general, is supported throughout the learning statements in the Early Years curriculum. Examples include:

• in Creative Expression, children are able to comment on their own and others' work and use these reflections to inform their later work. They also refine their artistic outputs through experimentation.
• in Personal, Social and Emotional Development, children develop self-regulation by reflecting on learning activities to identify what they did or did not like, and to recognise their achievements and the challenges that they faced.