Thinking Routines

Routines can be good… or bad. As parents, we try to establish good routines in our children. Routines can become so familiar that they are like habits, requiring little concentration and not much effort. 

According to Ron Richhart, author of Creating Cultures of Thinking,  a thinking routine is a set of questions or a brief sequence of steps used to support student thinking. Thinking routines are great tools for getting students to engage with new learning. 

Pre-learning

Recently, in Bible study, I introduced a thinking routine called 3-2-1 Bridge. The purpose of this routine is to help students understand their own learning by connecting their conceptions of a topic before and after a learning experience.

For this routine, we focused on the verse: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). 

The way the routine works is that you start by identifying three words, two questions, and a metaphor that comes to mind. I encouraged the class to capture their thoughts quickly, using words and questions that they think of first. In our case, the words, questions, and metaphors focused on the second part of this verse. This did not surprise me, as this is the way that I had thought about this verse focusing on the “desires of my heart” that he would give me. 

New Learning

As I introduced the new learning, I explained that God had “shifted” my thinking to the first phrase, “take delight in the Lord.” This is kind of an abstract idea. I can say that I love the Lord, which is a good thing and I encourage you to say this. But, what does it mean? Are we describing a feeling that we get when we think about him, maybe a tingly feeling? No, that is not it. 

Then, I asked the class to make a list of the things they loved. Some of the lists were long, with things we shared in common: chocolate, the smell of cut grass, the satisfaction of a job well done, laughter around the dinner table.

I suggesedt to the class that when I wrote my list, I found that there were many things for which I delight, but God was not on my list. They checked their lists. He was missing on theirs as well.

I explained that I went through my list again: The way my granddaughters hug me tight. They are big huggers. The sparkly way the air feels before a thunderstorm. Then, it occurred to me; as I expressed thankfulness for the goodness of God, I was taking delight in him. It is truly God’s grace that has blessed me with each of these things that I love.

Post Learning

Finally,  the students were asked to complete the “After Learning” part of the routine. This included the “Bridge” where students explain how and why their thinking changed. In our case, it was a simple shift from focusing on us… to focusing on him. 

Thinking routines can help focus our attention on learning, providing us fresh insight. Focusing on learning is a good habit to establish in your children.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23

Copyright © 2023 Chuck Locklear

Also, see Brain Development.