Here are 6 specific things you can try to increase talk in your classroom. They are described in detail below:
REVOICE
You have to listen as though hearing their explanation for the first time, and to intervene in ways that will help the children to clarify their explanation, but without taking the explanation away from them. It is easy, through the desire to move things along, to say things like ‘what I think you are trying to say is . . .’ and take over, giving your explanation. Better to say things like:
‘Hang on, you said you did . . . and then (something else). I don’t follow this – how did you get from that first thing to the next?’
or
‘I’m a bit confused. Is anyone else? Can you explain that bit again please?’
REPEAT
Once children have shared their thinking with the class, it’s helpful to get others to simply repeat what has been said.
There are three reasons for this pedantry. First to emphasize that careful listening is being valued and that this is not easy but that, with patience, it can be done. Second, there is power in voicing another’s words. Repeating something even if it is not fully fathomed throws out a line that catches at understanding. Third, everyone gets to listen to the same explanation a few times over. Even with the best listening in the world it is unlikely that all will have ‘got it’ first time round.
REPHRASE
Once everyone is agreed on what has been offered, invite children to explain what they heard in their own words. This encourages others to take some ownership of the maths and begins to open up the conversation. As before, the children giving the original explanation decide if their peers rephrase accurately.
At each stage – revoicing, repeating, rephrasing – invite questions; aim for collective understanding of what is offered. Note that the offering is still accepted as it is – not yet judging whether the solution is right or wrong, effective or efficient, common or unique, although often errors do surface and have been tidied up by this point.
BUILD ON
Repeating and rephrasing leads into building on the solution comes about through questions like:
COMMENT ON
This phase opens out the dialogue and invites more discussion about the mathematics of the solution. Again, the time spent talking about the one method and reaching some general communal understanding of it is to encourage shared ownership – the idea is now the class’s idea to work on and talk about, not simply that of two particular children. This is a key step in creating a mathematics-focused community rather than a teacher- focused or child-focused one.
- Rehearse
- Revoice
- Repeat
- Rephrase
- Build on
- Comment on.
REVOICE
You have to listen as though hearing their explanation for the first time, and to intervene in ways that will help the children to clarify their explanation, but without taking the explanation away from them. It is easy, through the desire to move things along, to say things like ‘what I think you are trying to say is . . .’ and take over, giving your explanation. Better to say things like:
‘Hang on, you said you did . . . and then (something else). I don’t follow this – how did you get from that first thing to the next?’
or
‘I’m a bit confused. Is anyone else? Can you explain that bit again please?’
REPEAT
Once children have shared their thinking with the class, it’s helpful to get others to simply repeat what has been said.
There are three reasons for this pedantry. First to emphasize that careful listening is being valued and that this is not easy but that, with patience, it can be done. Second, there is power in voicing another’s words. Repeating something even if it is not fully fathomed throws out a line that catches at understanding. Third, everyone gets to listen to the same explanation a few times over. Even with the best listening in the world it is unlikely that all will have ‘got it’ first time round.
REPHRASE
Once everyone is agreed on what has been offered, invite children to explain what they heard in their own words. This encourages others to take some ownership of the maths and begins to open up the conversation. As before, the children giving the original explanation decide if their peers rephrase accurately.
At each stage – revoicing, repeating, rephrasing – invite questions; aim for collective understanding of what is offered. Note that the offering is still accepted as it is – not yet judging whether the solution is right or wrong, effective or efficient, common or unique, although often errors do surface and have been tidied up by this point.
BUILD ON
Repeating and rephrasing leads into building on the solution comes about through questions like:
- Does anyone want to add anything to that method?
- Did anyone do anything similar to that?
Building on helps to fill gaps in a solution or unearth further errors. The focus is not firmly on this publicly shared solution and not on the individuals proposing it.
COMMENT ON
This phase opens out the dialogue and invites more discussion about the mathematics of the solution. Again, the time spent talking about the one method and reaching some general communal understanding of it is to encourage shared ownership – the idea is now the class’s idea to work on and talk about, not simply that of two particular children. This is a key step in creating a mathematics-focused community rather than a teacher- focused or child-focused one.