As an academic librarian, I genuinely enjoy assisting students with their research projects. However, there have been times when I felt frustrated because I didn’t know how well the students understood what I was teaching. Traditional worksheets and quizzes didn’t provide me with insights into their thinking. Then, I discovered Thinking Routines from Harvard’s Project Zero. These simple, question-focused strategies promote metacognition (thinking about one’s own thinking). They encourage students to delve into their own thought processes. Thinking routines enable us to witness students’ thinking in action.
Ron Ritchhart and his colleagues expand on these concepts in Making Thinking Visible* and The Power of Making Thinking Visible.* Thinking Routines use simple, straightforward strategies to make students’ thoughts visible. They are highly flexible and can be used across disciplines and ages. In my research workshops and webinars, I’ve used Thinking Routines to assist students in developing focused research questions, evaluating sources, and reflecting on their learning.
Think, Puzzle, Explore
The Think, Puzzle, Explore routine prepares students to explore a topic in greater depth by encouraging them to reflect on what they already know and what they are curious about. I use it at the start of a research project to help students formulate focused research questions.
- First, students jot down everything they think they know about the topic.
- Next, they list questions or confusions (the puzzles).
- Finally, they note what they’d like to explore further.
Students used this routine to generate research questions: their puzzles became research problems to solve. Because it’s so flexible, you can do it individually, in small groups, or as a whole-class brainstorm. The routine makes everyone’s thinking visible in each case and points to what to tackle next.
Red Light, Yellow Light
Red Light, Yellow Light helps students spot bias or misleading claims in a text,
- Give students a short text or editorial and three highlighters (pink, yellow, green).
- Define red lights as statements with obvious bias or sweeping claims, yellow as subtler hints of opinion,and green as solid factual claims.
- Then, students highlight the text accordingly.
For instance, one student marked the phrase “Schools are peddling junk food to kids” in red, acknowledging kids do have snacks at school, but the term “peddling” carries a bias. Another student highlighted “Some schools offer unhealthy snacks” in yellow, viewing it as a less strong statement. Sentences backed by facts or data, like “50% of students chose pizza in a lunch survey,” receive a green highlight. According to Project Zero, it’s important to look for hints such as “sweeping generalizations” and “blatant self-interest.” After this exercise, we engage in discussions where we compare our highlights, frequently leading to animated debates as students explain their reasoning for the red or yellow classifications. This color-coded text serves as a visible record of their critical thinking process.
I Used to Think… Now I Think
After a lesson or activity, I like to end with this reflection routine: I Used to Think… Now I Think. I ask students to finish two sentence stems: “I used to think…” and “Now I think…”. This helps them articulate how their understanding has changed. Project Zero provides these prompts:
- “When we began our study of ________, you had some initial ideas about it. Take a minute to remember what ideas you previously had about ________. Write a few sentences using the sentence starter, “I used to think…’”
- “Now, think about how your ideas about __________ have changed as a result of what we’ve been studying/doing/discussing. Again, in just a few sentences, write down what you now think about ___________. Start your sentences with, ‘Now, I think…’”
Students often share surprisingly different “Now I think” ideas than they had initially. It’s always rewarding to see how their perspectives shift. The simple contrast of “used to” vs. “now” helps students express their learning gains in their own words.
Conclusion
These three routines (Think, Puzzle, Explore; Red Light, Yellow Light; and I Used to Think… Now I Think) have become essential components in my teaching toolkit. They’re easy to introduce, yet they consistently ignite reflection and discussion. Importantly, they transform student thinking into tangible artifacts. The notes and highlights students generate (the “I used to/Now I think” sentences, puzzle lists, etc.) can be viewed and even assessed as evidence of their learning.
If you’re curious, try one of these routines in your next class or workshop. The Project Zero Thinking Routines site offers guides and PDFs for dozens of routines. Ron Ritchhart and colleagues’ book Making Thinking Visible and The Power of Making Thinking Visible are also excellent resources. A few simple prompts can truly open a window into student learning – and once you observe their thinking, you can help it grow.
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