When parents think about their child’s education, they probably focus on basic skills and exam results, the amount a child is trying and their wellbeing.

But there is another significant factor influencing their success at school. This is metacognition.

What is it? Why is it important? And how can you help your child develop this skill?

Metacognition is often described as “thinking about our thinking”. It involves being aware of how our mind works and using that awareness to improve how we learn, solve problems and make decisions. To do this, we need both metacognitive knowledge and metacognitive skills.

Metacognitive knowledge is what we know about ourselves as learners, the strategies we use and why some approaches work better for us. It includes understanding the conditions that help us learn, how to use different strategies, and when to apply them.

For example, as a child goes to bed, they suddenly remember they forgot to do their homework that’s due the next day. This provides an opportunity for the child to think about the strategies they might use........

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