Classroom Conversation Starters and Accountable Talk

Why are some students so quiet during classroom discussions?

Could it be because...

•     They don’t have a clue about what to say
•      They are intimidated about the process
•    They don’t want to be judged by their peers

And then, with other students, it’s the exact opposite. These students are surly, abrupt and abrasive. They intimidate their classmates, are judgmental in their comments and stifle discussions. Our fast paced and technology driven lifestyles have given our children very little practice in how to have rich and productive conversation. With texting and tweeting encouraging us to be curt and abrupt, it's a wonder that any of us can carry on an appropriate conversation anywhere - especially in the classroom.

There’s a way to help students with conversation skills, and for many students it's a matter of  helping them  learn how to communicate more effectively.  This can be done by providing them with examples of appropriate conversation, role playing, and practicing conversations.

This is not a unique idea that I thought up (although I wish I had!) On one of my visits to support a teacher, I visited someone (Thanks, Katty F. from the Bronx!) who used this strategy in her classroom – a classroom of active, urban 5^th graders.  Her students who could be a rambunctious group during the day, were able to have conversations that were fruitful, sincere and classroom appropriate. Their reactions to each other were thoughtful, measured and polite. I was puzzled, until I spoke with her. Katty told me about accountable talk, a concept foreign to me (quite the veteran teacher). She then showed me the posters on the wall that she used to remind her students about what to say, when to say it and how to say it. To give a clearer idea of what accountable talk is, here is a quote that I found on Mrs.Ballard’s homepage. It defines the basis of accountable talk: (http://asfms.net/sevenb/ballard_c/Template/accountabletalk.html)

"Whatever its form--whole class discussion, small group work, peer or teacher conferences, interviews--talk should be accountable to the learning community, to knowledge and standards of evidence that are appropriate to the subject, and to generally accepted standards of reasoning.”

I’m all for offering the students a posted “conversation template.”  This is simply a poster that includes sentence starters for  amenable conversation. Each group of starters has a heading so that the starters are used appropriately.  The poster can be posted on the wall, or there can be individual mini-posters placed on each students' desk.  Here is an idea of what can be included in different posters and presented in the classroom:

When We Ask Questions in Class:

§  What did you mean when you said__________?

§  Do you think that___________?

§  I don’t understand ______________?

§  Could you please repeat that sentence/question?

When We Make Comments in Class:

§  I agree with what you said because________________

§  I understand what you said, but I think that _______________

§  I respectfully disagree because______________________

§  That’s a great way to ____________________

§  That’s a good idea because____________________

T   This idea for using accountable talk  is worth a try, and may help students create a language for learning that helps them contribute more in class and enhances your ability to foster discourse in your classroom.

      Queen Bee


  What's teaching without homework?

 Please share your creative ways to stimulate productive conversation in your classroom.