The Part which Metacognition can Play in Raising Standards in English at Key Stage 2

This article explores the role of metacognition in developing literacy at Key Stage 2 and suggests that the ability to extend pupils’ metacognitive awareness deserves to be given a high focus in English teaching, as it is through this that deeper levels of understanding will be acquired. Metacognition can be enhanced by giving pupils an explicit repertoire of techniques to aid their understanding of how are they learning. Examples derived from five research cases reveal how some teachers have tried to achieve this, and the pivotal role which this may play in raising standards in English.