Is Big6 too complicated or difficult for younger students? Eisenberg and Berkowitz are often heard to say, “Big6 is so simple and yet it is so complex.” I propose, if teachers ‘keep it simple,’ Big6 can be a powerful learning tool for elementary level students.

There are several advantages to using Big6 with younger students. First, Big6 provides a solid information literacy foundation to built upon as students grow and mature. Students get a jump-start on mastering information literacy skills. The second advantage has to do with the nature of young students. It has been my experience that young people learn best when learning is concrete. Using Big6 to verbalize the process of solving information problems makes the process tangible for students. Finally, students arrive at school with an innate curiosity. They want to know. When teachers use Big6, learning becomes a puzzle to solve. The desire to answer “puzzle” questions taps students’ innate curiosity, encourages active engagement, and, therefore increases student learning.

Adapting for Emerging Student Skills.
Some younger learners are still developing the basic skills needed to be effective problem solvers. Using Big6 provides an opportunity for students to experience the importance of emergent skills in reading and writing. Raising student awareness of the need for these basic skills may motivate students to improve the skills.

Clearly, young students have some challenges that their older peers don’t face simply because of their age and inexperience with school processes. However, if the instructor identifies these skill levels, it is possible to design instruction that allows younger students to successfully solve problems. For example, some young students have a very short attention span. One way to work with this circumstance is to create a series of short sessions, rather than one long session. This adaptation might look like:

• Session 1: (Steps 1-3) Introduce the problem, identify the source, and locate the source.
• Session 2: (Steps 3-4) Locate the information within the source and use the information.
• Session 3: (Step 5) Synthesize or create final product.
• Session 4: (Step 6) Evaluate both product and process.

Another way to deal with a short attention span is to design instruction that uses multiple modes of learning. Design instruction to utilize multiple senses, such as movement, smelling, and tasting as well as seeing and hearing.

Some young students lack a prior knowledge base. To help students further develop their skills, the teacher needs to model and guide students through the process. This modeling and guiding demonstration allows students to successfully solve the problem and at the same time helps students build prior knowledge and make connections that will be valuable as they solve problems in the future. The teacher might model how to locate and access a book (Big6 #3) in the easy or everybody collection. In the next trip to the library, the student may be able to find the book independently or with a little guidance.

Some young students may have beginner level reading skills. Reading skill level can affect a student’s ability to skim or locate information (Big6 #3) and use information (Big6 #4). To offset developing reading skills the teacher could:

• model and/or guide students through the process of skimming and using information.
• design instruction that requires students to scan rather than skim (locating information)
• listen for information rather than read information (using information), or
• use graphics (pictures) rather than words (using information).

Some young students may have beginner level writing skills. Writing skills are important as students take notes when using information (Big6 #4) and produce their final product (Big6 #5). The teacher can address limited writing skills by:

• modeling or guiding students, e.g. the teacher actually writes for the student on a class chart as students dictate; or younger students may be partnered with older students who do the writing.
• designing instruction so students may create notes using graphics or pictures rather than words.
• designing a final product that does not involve writing, e.g. show & tell, drawing, create a model, etc.

Strategies for Teaching Big6 to Young Students

Introduce the Process
When I begin to teach Big6 to young students, I pose a question or problem to solve. Once we have discussed the problem and consider some different ways to solve it, I tell them about Big6, and compare Big6 to a recipe. Next I pose a series of questions.
1. Do I need information to solve this problem?

• Anytime I have a problem I have a plan or a recipe that helps me solve the problem.

2.    Let’s think about recipes:

• Would a recipe help me if I wanted to bake a chocolate cake?
• Would the recipe tell me what ingredients I need?
• Would a recipe tell me what steps are needed to bake the cake?
• My recipe, called Big6, helps me solve my problem.

3. Let’s compare Big6 to a recipe.

• Instead of ingredients, I need information. My recipe tells me what information I need.
• Just like a recipe tells you what to do (or steps), Big6 gives the steps needed to solve my problem.

Model and Guide
Once you have explained Big6 to young learners, you cannot simply turn them loose and expect them to use the process. You must first model use of the process by thinking aloud or verbalizing as you solve the problem before the class. It may even be helpful to guide the students through their early use of the process. To do this, propose a problem and ask students questions to guide them through each step as they solve the problem as a class or group.

Use a Mnemonic
To help students remember the steps of the Big6, introduce them to a mnemonic:
All six steps: www.use

1. What task? TD
2. What source? ISS
3. Where source? L&A
4. Use
5. Synthesize
6. Evaluate

First and last step: we

1. What task TD
2. Evaluate E)

Select Topics or Problems to Solve
Many information problems arise in the classroom through daily discussion and instruction. Rather than simply answering the student, model how to use the Big6 to find answers. For instance, a group of kindergartners were learning about Martin Luther King, Jr. One student wondered how old Dr. King was when he died. Second graders learning about the ocean wanted to know how deep oceans were. These single questions provide an opportunity to model and guide students through the problem solving process. A bonus was the excitement generated by students as the problems were solved.

Literature is another content area that can trigger some wonderful opportunities to use Big6. Motivate students to learn more about their favorite authors while they practice information literacy skills. For instance, students may solve information problems such as:  Where are the author’s books found in the library? What does the author look like? Where does the author live? What are some of his or her favorite things? What inspires my favorite author?

It’s Never too Early!
The Big6 is a natural fit for young, curious minds and the information-rich environment of the classroom. Once you begin to recognize Big6 opportunities in your instruction, you will see them everywhere. I’ve created a chart to outline some common Big6-related classroom tasks. Think of these as opportunities to articulate steps in Big6 so that students can see how this process is useful in a variety of contexts.