Read Aloud

Read-aloud with accountable talk is a learning experience in which the teacher reads a book aloud to the whole group.  This experience is grounded in grade level or above levels of text complexity.  It provides a structure that meets the demands of the collaboration and conversation common core anchor standards, reading anchor standards and grade level CCSS for all scholars.  The purpose of the read-aloud is to read grade level or above text while modeling appropriate reading behaviors and reading strategies.  The reading community makes meaning of the text by posing and proving theories grounded in textual evidence.  The teacher captures the reading communities’ journey across a given text via a variety of note-taking tools. It is during this time that scholars are exposed to a variety of genres, literary styles and levels of text complexity.  The teacher models for scholars the joys of reading and teaches them how to think deeply and discuss text analytically.

 

Teachers intellectually prepare to be facilitators of the discussion by careful reading of the text annotating the critical elements of the text.  The read-aloud is then grounded in the common core standards and the textual demands.  The teacher reads with the proper fluency, rhythm, and intonation and facilitates so that scholars will construct a deep meaning of the text.

The read aloud can be revisited in conjunction with the mini-lesson in either the reading or writing workshop.  It provides scholars with the opportunity to see the teacher model the lesson using an authentic text that they have already studied together as a community.

 

Accountable Talk

The "accountable" in Accountable Talk comes from its three dimensions: Accountability to the Learning Community, Accountability to Accurate Knowledge, and Accountability to Rigorous Thinking.

 

• Accountability to the Learning Community is about how students talk to and with each other. When they speak, they speak loudly and clearly so everyone can hear. If not, chances are they'll be asked politely to repeat or explain. When students listen, they do not simply think about what they will say next. They focus on classmates' contributions so they can understand, challenge, build upon, and refine each other’s ideas. In an Accountable Talk classroom you will hear students respectfully agree or disagree. You will hear teachers ask questions like, "Did everyone hear what Juan said?" "Could anyone repeat what Susan said so everyone can hear?" "Does anyone agree or disagree?" "Does anyone want to add on?"

 

• Accountability to Accurate Knowledge is about what students discuss. They make claims and try to be as specific and accurate as possible. Students ask each other challenging questions such as: "Are those statistics accurate?" "What is your basis for that conclusion?" "Where did you see that in the text?" So, Accountability to Accurate Knowledge is about getting the facts straight—individually and as a community.

 

• Accountability to Rigorous Thinking is also about what students discuss and is closely related to Accountability to Accurate Knowledge. It's about using that accurate knowledge to build a logical and coherent line of argument. Students use sound reasoning, as well as evidence, to back up their claims. You might hear questions like, "Why do you think that?" Or, "What's your reasoning behind that explanation?"

 

Institute for Learning accountable Talk Podcasts: 

Pam Goldman is the Institute for Learning (IFL) Instructional Design Fellow.

 

Accountable Talk is comprised of partner conversation, small group conversation and whole class conversation.  It is talk that is grounded in acquisition of meaning within a grade level or above text.  The conversation and collaboration common core anchor standards define the expectations.

 

The “Turn and Talk/partner Conversation” is done during reading; the numbers of stops depend on the grade level of the students, the text complexity and unit focus.  Small group conversation is used both during and after reading it can provide more air time for individual scholars than the whole class conversation.  It should be used once scholars have established the habits of discussion.   Whole class conversation is reserved for powerful discussion of text dependent questions worthy of debate usually at the end of text or chapter.

 

Teachers explicitly teach and scholars practice the habits of discussion including:

Scholars must be explicitly taught and practice habits of discussion moving from novice to mastery in all K-8 classrooms. 

 

Learning to Share

• Listen & talk only in turn, SL.K.1.A, SL.1.1.A

• Speak Audibly SL.K.6

• Speak in Complete Sentences SL.1.6, SL.2.6

• Interact Peer-to-Peer: direct answers to the group SL.3.1.A

 

Learning to Build

• Elaborate on your answer SL.3.1.D, SL.4.1.D, SL.5.1.D

• Build Off another’s answer SL.K.1.B, SL.1.1.B, SL.2.1.B

• Evaluate others’ as well as my own theories (Agree/disagree/somewhat agree) SL.4.1.D, SL.5.1.D

• Hint, Don’t Tell: cue peers to help them in their response  SL 5.1.C

• Peer “Feedback”

• Prompt Peers with Universal Prompts: SL.4.1.C, SL.5.1.C (make sure that the language her all aligns across the document/documents)

• “Tell me more.”

• “What in the story makes you think that?”

• “Why is that important?”

• “Why do you think that?”

• Repeat the original question

• No Hands: aid the conversation without raising their hand SL.5.1.C

• Lead: facilitate the conversation from start to finish SL.4.1.B, SL.5.1.B

• Come Prepared in Writing: use written response to aid discussion SL.3.1.A, SL.4.1.A, SL.5.1.A

 

Learning to Synthesize and Draw Conclusions

• Changing my idea…

• Identify Main idea

• Summarize key details, naming textual evidence

• Identify emerging patterns and themes

• Synthesize talking points to form a theory

• Draw a conclusion

• Respond and Reflect

 

Adapted from Great Habits, Great Readers