Goal One: Help Individual Students Share, Expand and Clarify Their Own Thinking

 

1.  Notes/Frequency of Use

• Time to Think

• Partner Talk

• Writing as Think Time

• Wait Time

 

2. Say More:

• “Can you say more about that?”

• “What do you mean by that?”

• “Can you give an example?”

 

3. So, Are You Saying…?:

• “So, let me see if I’ve got what you’re saying. Are you saying…?”

• Always leave space for the original student to agree or disagree and say more

 

Goal Two: Help Students Listen Carefully to One Another

 

4. Who Can Rephrase or Repeat?

• “Who can repeat what Javon just said or put it into their own words?”

• (After a partner talk) “What did your partner say?”

 

Goal Three: Help Students Deepen Their Reasoning

 

5. Asking for Evidence or Reasoning

• “Why do you think that?”

• “What’s your evidence?”

• “How did you arrive at that conclusion?”

 

6. Challenge or Counterexample

• “Does it always work that way?”

• “How does that idea square with Sonia’s example?”

• “What if it had been a copper cube instead?"

 

Goal Four Help Students Think With Others

 

7. Agree/Disagree and Why?

• “Do you agree/disagree? (And why?)”

• “What do people think about what Ian said?”

• “Does anyone want to respond to that idea?”

 

8. Add On:

• “Who can add onto the idea that Jamal is building?”

• “Can anyone take that suggestion and push it a little further?”

 

9. Explaining What Someone Else Means

• “Who can explain what Aisha means when she says that?”

• “Who thinks they could explain why Simon came up with that answer?”

• “Why do you think he said that?”

 

The Inquiry Project: Bridging Research & Practice Supported by the National Science Foundation Copyright 2012, TERC. All Rights Reserved.

Adapted from: Chapin, S. O’Connor, C., & Anderson, N., (2009). Classroom Discussions: Using Math Talk to Help Students Learn,