A Think Aloud is an oft-cited method for use in a wide variety of teaching scenarios, and, when executed well, is a great go-to for adjusting instruction (as well as addressing unfinished teaching in future lessons). Think Aloud's are effective only if they make transparent the cognition required to effectively address misconceptions. This means voicing what you are thinking aloud, to yourself, for students to observe. Students also must have a specific question in mind when observing to focus what they see and hear on the error and false beliefs.
There are infinite ways to execute a Think Aloud for any given scenario, yet they are all structured to set students to focus on teachers’ modeled cognition. In an effective think aloud teachers:
Model the thinking process orally and in writing
Ask questions at strategic moments to leverage students’ prior knowledge in the process
Use economy of language to present the ideas with as few words as possible
Ask a question(s) to check for understanding and stamp key ideas before moving on
Below is that structure and an example script a teacher may use that incorporates the characteristics above. Note, this Think Aloud happens in-the-moment and, to isolate a misconception, the teacher sets a focus on one question that will be discussed after the thinking is fully modeled.
| Process | Sample Script |
| Heighten Awareness: Cue students to the instructional adjustment. | "In a moment we will engage in a Think Aloud. During this time, I will model the thinking I do when trying to make sense of this error.” |
| Establish Roles: Explain the two personas students will experience during the Think Aloud. |
"During the Think Aloud, I will transform from Mr. Chase, a math teacher, to Cole, a math student, by putting on these glasses.
When I’m a student, you will notice that I’ll speak as a student thinking through this error. During that time, your role is to listen and think about what and how I am thinking; I will not ask you questions during a Think Aloud. When I remove the glasses, you’ll notice I’ll return to speaking as I am now and will no longer be demonstrating my thinking process.” |
| Set the Focus: Clarify the focus question for students to consider while they observe. |
"When I think aloud as a student, I want you to consider this question: ‘What do I consider when making sense of this error?’ [Posts this on the board.] Feel free to write these ideas down, too. After I return to Mr. Chase, we will discuss what you noticed.” |
| Check Understanding: Pause to synthesize the directions and ask clarifying questions. |
“How will you know when the Think Aloud starts and ends, and what will you think about while watching?” “What questions do we have before I begin?” |
| In Cue: Switch to student persona. |
“Great, switching to Cole now.” [Puts on glasses.] |
| Think Aloud: Make the cognitive process audible and visible. |
“This error is popping up right now and I’m trying to figure out what it means [...]” [Speaks casually to them self about the error while writing, raises questions, considers solutions, tries out cases, comes to a conclusion, models self-monitoring, etc]. |
| Out Cue: Return to teacher persona. |
[Takes off glasses.] “And back to Mr. Chase.” |
| Debrief: Discuss the focus question students considered when they observed. |
[Points to the focus question on the board.] Take 30 seconds to gather your thoughts. [Students think and/or write for 30 seconds.] What did I consider when making sense of this error? [Facilitates discussion to ensure students discuss the thinking involved in understanding the misconception that caused the error.] |
Implementing a Think Aloud in the moment, as opposed to pre-planned, requires you to determine:
If students must observe cognition of a concept, a process or an application to clarify the misconception;
Which Standard(s) of Mathematical Practice to model;
The length of the thought process, which should be short enough for students to apply right away as you release responsibility once again;
The Depth of Understanding students require to clarify the misconception and to attain the learning goal.