During my forty-three years working in many classrooms, I paid very close attention to the students whom teachers called “expert learners.” As I watched these students confidently read, write, and speak, I noticed that they skillfully and habitually used a few thinking and language strategies that made a difference in their performance. I realized that these fortunate students knew how to learn and could apply certain thinking and language strategies when they needed them. I decided with the help of several classroom teachers to try to teach some of these strategies to students who didn’t use them. We found that, with clear instruction, most students learned them fairly quickly. From this experience, I resolved to write a guide that would make six of the most important thinking and language strategies available to all students. It is my firm belief that learning will be easier and more rewarding for any student who has the determination and proper guidance to practice and apply these strategies.
