Metacognitive reading is thinking about one’s thinking while reading. It is the basis for the fundamentals of the reading process. It is important to create readers that apply thinking that reflects their reading. The use of metacognition has many benefits. Also, it increases reading comprehension and vocabulary.
Reasons for Metacognition
• Metacognition has students preview text and make predictions. Also, students ask questions for clarity.
• Reflective reading develops a student’s deeper understanding of the text. Students begin to use strategies such as problem-solving, reasoning, and planning. As a result, they understand when they do not utilize the correct thinking to solve a problem.
• It helps students explain a thought process. This is usually a difficult task for most students.
• As students develop into responsible adults, they begin to transfer their learned skills into their everyday lives.
Students that receive metacognition skills become academically successful. They understand how they learn and how they process their learning. Therefore, they are able to further their learning as well as build their memory skills.
Poor Metacognitive Reading
Without metacognitive strategies, students suffer consequences.
• Students have poor self-esteem.
• Also, their reading comprehension is limited.
• In addition to poor comprehension, they suffer from communication and language skills.
• Thus, students have little chance of success.
Academically, metacognition is more important than intelligence as it pertains to achievement. In the use of metacognitive skills, students become active and independent learners. Also, it engages disengaged learners and disadvantaged learners.
There are many strategies that help students analyze what they study and reflect on what they learn.
* Predicting outcomes helps students understand the information they need as they read.
* Once finished, students evaluate the learning by reviewing their weaknesses and strengths.
* Next, students question the knowledge to further the learning and to select further strategies for use.
* Through discussions with teachers, parents, and peers, students further their ideas.
* Then, they are able to critique and revise their work.
The benefits of the use of metacognition are to make students responsible and independent learners. They control their learning process. Last, they are able to transfer their learning from one context to another to solve problems in various situations.
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