Laura Thomas, Education faculty at Antioch University’s New England campus, and Nelia Rath, ‘05 graduate of the Integrated Learning Program, Antioch New England, published an article, “Teaching Students to Use Chunking to Tackle Complex,” on Edutopia.
The article explores one aspect of the Critical Skills Classroom, called Chunking. The article advocates teaching middle and high school students to break large, often messy, real-world tasks—especially in project‑based learning—into smaller, manageable “chunks,” enhancing both comprehension and execution. It outlines a structured chunking process: students begin with careful reading to extract essential information, annotate and discuss key points, and summarize their understanding aloud. From there, they collaboratively map out timelines backward from deadlines, divide responsibilities, and use structured brainstorming and decision routines to plan action. This intentional scaffolding builds transferable skills like self-direction, time management, collaboration, and resilience—preparing students not just to complete projects, but to face complexity with confidence
Thomas is the Director of the Experienced Educator Program at Antioch New England. Wrath is a school leader at The Riverside School in Lyndonville, Vermont.
Read the full article here.
