This process by which students develop their ability to think is what Hammond calls intellective capacity, also known as “fluid intelligence” or “intellective competence.” To encourage this intellective capacity, Hammond suggests a framework called “Ready for Rigor,” in which teachers become better equipped. This paper will discuss culturally responsive teaching and multiple strategies. Hammond argues that culturally responsive teaching practices are necessary for moving students away from passive, dependent learning to independent learning, where higher order thinking paves the way for “new cognitive skills and habits of mind that will actually increase their brainpower” (14). Teachers need to cultivate an understanding of cultural diversity in the classroom to effectively promote engagement. To become independent learners, students must be given the opportunity to develop cognitive skills and processes that facilitate learning by means of critical and creative thinking. In her opening chapter, Hammond establishes that underserved students of color, including students who are linguistically and culturally diverse, have been affected by systems of inequity these systems have held them back from becoming independent learners.
