Use fun, game-like divergent-thinking problem-solving tasks with explicit teacher modeling as cognitive flexibility training before phonemic awareness instruction¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The article's cognitive flexibility training consisted of game-like problem-solving tasks: "the students and teachers in Group 1 (receiving cognitive flexibility training), participated in fun, game-like problem-solving tasks and activities that foster divergent thinking", with teachers providing "explicit modeling and instruction relative to the importance of using knowledge elements from divergent sources to think about and solve problems". Sessions ran three times weekly for 20 minutes over five weeks, followed by identical phonemic awareness training for all groups.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Explicit teacher modeling of using knowledge elements from divergent sources
• Short regular sessions administered by the classroom teacher

Constraints¶

• The strategy was tested as a five-week precursor to phonemic awareness training, not as a standalone literacy intervention

Target Learners¶

• Kindergarten and first-grade students
• Students with low cognitive flexibility

Target Learning Goals¶

• Cognitive flexibility
• Phonemic awareness
• Reading and spelling readiness

Affordances¶

• Cognitive Flexibility Theory Early Literacy

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Krause, Suzanne; Moore, Elizabeth J. (1997). Effects of Cognitive Flexibility and Phonemic Awareness Training on Kindergarten and First-Grade Students' Phonemic Awareness, Cognitive Flexibility, Reading, and Spelling Ability. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED406649