Teaching Thinking Skills

But I Cleaned My Room Last Year! is more than a kid’s guide to cleaning their room — it is a series of lessons to teach mental skills (planning and organizing) focusing on graphic, non-linear organizers.
This book was written to teach upper elementary students how to clean their room using a problem-solving approach. What is their goal? What steps need to be taken in order to clean the room? What do they do first? How do they keep their room clean once it is tidy?
A variety of graphic organizers (Mind Maps, charts, etc.) are presented in a meaningful context, using a storyline as the mode of delivery. A girl, Morgan Jane (M.J. for short), has lost her bathing suit, so is forced to stay at home when she could not find it. Her mother refuses to ‘help’ her to clean the bedroom. M.J. must clean the room by herself this time, but she does not know how. In fact, she does not know where to begin!
M.J. is guided through the process of planning and organizing using the teaching style referred to as mediated learning experiences. That is, a mentor, her aunt, worked with her, explaining each step and teaching mental skills that she will use throughout the her life — at home, at school, and beyond.

A Mentor’s Guide (Teacher’s Guide) accompanies the student workbook. It includes:

Notes for Mentors which explains the rationale behind the lessons, giving research information on which the lessons are based.
Chapter Guide to explain the purpose for each lesson and to give suggestions for presentation.
Bibliography: a source of references.

This publication will be available in two formats:

Photocopy Master with copy privileges limited to copying for a specific school. ISBN 0-9695538-8-9
Student Workbook and accompanying Mentor’s Guide. ISBN 0-9695538-9-7

Size: 8.5 x 11 in.
Price: TBA
Date of release: TBA (by Fall 2002)
Contact:

Louise Framst Books

lframst@pris.bc.ca