The Focus Factor

Featuring practical how-to classroom examples, this teacher-friendly introduction examines the importance of an essential set of thinking skills that supports the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and future success for students in 21st-century life, school, and work. Starting with cognitive psychologist Reuven Feuersteins pioneering Theory of Mediated Learning, the author provides a rationale for teaching skills that focuses on deeper learning and connects to CCSSs. These include distinguishing what is important from what is not, thinking critically and creatively, sorting and searching information, connecting ideas, and problem solving. Each chapter introduces the what, the why, and the how to do it for explicit, intentional incorporation of specific content-crossing competencies. The text is designed to make it easy for teachers to integrate the development of important cognitive functions into their daily lessons. Book Features: Offers research-supported best practices for developing higher-order thinking skills with all learners. Provides engaging, how-to examples of cognitive strategies that lead students to deeper learning of standards-aligned curricula. Includes the tools teachers need to escape the recall curriculum and make cognition central to daily instruction for all students.