Choosing a Strategy
Before starting a study task, choose a deliberate strategy; after finishing, evaluate honestly whether that strategy actually helped
Typical age: 9–10 years
“Does your child ever talk about *how* they're going to study or practise something — and afterwards think about whether that approach worked?”
0 / 3 mastered
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Needs first
- Trying a New ApproachREQUIRED
Evaluating a strategy requires having deliberately chosen and tried different strategies — you need the switching habit first
- Guided Multi-Step Problem Solving
The LtL strategy evaluation skill (9-10) builds on the early scaffolded habit of checking reasonableness in maths introduced at 6-7
- Multi-Step Problem Solving
The LtL strategy evaluation skill (9-10) builds on the maths-specific checking habit developed with teacher support at 7-8
- Learning from MistakesREQUIRED
Evaluating whether a strategy helped requires being able to analyse what went wrong when it didn't
Unlocks next
- Finding Knowledge GapsREQUIRED
Surveying understanding across a whole topic requires the strategy-evaluation habit applied at a wider scale
- Controlling variables
Choosing an enquiry approach and evaluating whether it worked is the science form of the universal strategy-evaluation habit
- Complex Multi-Step Problems
Planning multi-step mathematical strategies and evaluating them is the maths-specific form of the universal strategy-evaluation habit
- Personal Coping Toolkit
Building a personal toolkit of self-regulation strategies and evaluating which work best is the PSD form of the universal strategy-evaluation habit
- Stop, Think, Then Choose
PSD decision-making skills underpin strategy selection in Learning-to-Learn