Self-Reflection

Last Sunday, I sat down with my 8-year-old to look back at all the things she’d learned this year. “Remember when you couldn’t tie your shoes?” I asked. Her eyes lit up. “Now I can do it so fast!” Instead of immediately telling her what to work on next, I remembered our family’s commitment to the Life-Ready approach. I asked, “What do you want to learn next? What goals feel important to you?” The look of thoughtfulness mixed with growing excitement on her face told me we had a perfect opportunity to practice self-reflection and goal-setting in a low-stakes environment. ...

Ask a child how they solved a math problem or learned to ride a bike, and you might get a blank stare. This isn’t a sign of ignorance—it’s a sign that they haven’t yet developed metacognition, the ability to think about their own thinking. Metacognition is the ultimate cognitive skill: it’s the ability to monitor and regulate our own thought processes, to become aware of how we learn, solve problems, and make decisions. ...