Years 2–6: Visible Thinking Routines Printable Thinking Mats

Visible Thinking Routines | Printable Thinking Mats | Years 2–6

Want your students to explain their thinking instead of just giving you an answer?

This pack has 17 visible thinking routines as printable A4 thinking mats. They aren’t tied to a unit, so you can use the same mats all year with any picture book, image, news story, topic or class discussion. Each routine comes in two versions: a Guided mat with prompts and sentence starters, and an Open mat with more space for confident students. A teacher guide with 18 ready-to-teach lessons shows you how to introduce each routine.

Every routine follows the same steps

Choose the thinking → Choose the stimulus → Model it → Think, then talk → Record → Share & justify

Use See, Think, Wonder with a picture book cover. Use Zoom In with a photo revealed one part at a time, Tug of War before persuasive writing, or 3-2-1 as an exit ticket at the end of a science lesson. Once students know the steps, they put all their energy into the thinking itself.

What's Included?

• 34 A4 thinking mats: 17 routines, each with a Guided and an Open version
• 18 ready-to-teach lesson plans: an introduction to thinking routines, plus one lesson for each mat
• A learning intention, success criteria and teacher tip for every lesson
• Routines at a glance: what each routine is best for and which year levels it suits
• How-to-use guide, teaching tips and curriculum links
• A ‘We’re thinking about’ line on every mat, so it works with any text or topic

The 17 Routines

• Looking Closely & Questioning: See, Think, Wonder; Zoom In; Think, Puzzle, Explore; Question Starts
• Comprehension: Sentence, Phrase, Word; Headlines; Step Inside; Circle of Viewpoints; Compare and Contrast
• Reasoning & Discussion: Claim, Support, Question; Tug of War; Compass Points
• Connecting & Reflecting: Connect, Extend, Challenge; The 3 Whys; Colour, Symbol, Image; I Used to Think… Now I Think…; 3-2-1

Why Visible Thinking Routines?

• Use them again and again: one set of mats works across reading, writing, science, HASS and class discussions
• Easy to differentiate: Guided mats support students who are new to a routine, and Open mats stretch confident thinkers
• Builds oral language: every routine ends with students sharing and justifying their ideas
• No prep: print, choose your stimulus and teach
• Flexible: students can also draw the layout in their books or use mini whiteboards
• Aligned to the Australian Curriculum v9.0 and the NSW English K–10 Syllabus

Resource Details

• Focus: Visible thinking, comprehension, oral language and reasoning
• Stage: Years 2–6 (Stages 1–3)
• Format: Printable PDF, black and white, A4
• Length: 51 pages
• Time: 45-minute lessons, then routines of any length once they’re familiar