How do we help students have back-and-forth conversations about nonfiction that build understanding? Conversations that include continually returning to their notes and the text to think about what to say next?

Demonstrate with a Student-Partner

1. I start by asking a student-volunteer to be my conversation partner.
2. I ask the student volunteer to come to the front of the room WITH her notes and/or the text.
3. I project my notes about the text or the annotated text for all students to view. For example, if we have completed or started taking notes on an inquiry chart – I will post my inquiry chart for all students to view.
4. I pose a clear question for my partner and I to discuss like “What are critical components of an ecosystem?” or “How did members of the Jewish resistance reveal their courage?”
5. I encourage her to look at her notes and think about what she wants to say before she responds. I might say, “What do you see in your notes that you want to talk about when we think about answering this question?”
6. After she responds, I demonstrate how I listened to my partner and how I use what I heard her say and my notes (I point to specific details in my notes) to think about what to say next. For example, I might say, “I heard you say…and I have that in my notes right here. I’m thinking about what I can add to that. Let me look at my notes. (Pause to visibly skim in front of students.) Oh, yes. I want to add this to what you said…”
7. Then I prompt the student to be strategic in contributing to our conversation. I might say, “Now what can you contribute to what we’ve both just said. Look back at your notes.”
8. The student and I continue moving back and forth, continually thinking about what was said and looking at our notes to think about how to build meaning.

Other moves I make with my conversation partner…

• “I wrote a note about this, but I didn’t understand when the author of this text wrote that…what did you think about that?”
• “I never realized that…until I read in the text that…”
• “I think I heard you say…what did you mean by that?”
• “When I read…I started wondering about…but I never figured that out…”

And so forth.

Critical Moves during the Demonstration

• Modeling looking at my notes to decide what to say
• Prompting the student to look back at her notes before responding
• During the demonstration, taking several turns between partners, turns that build on what was already said
• During the demonstration, being explicit with students about what’s happening like saying, “Look at how I used my notes to think about what to say…” or “I just heard my partner say and I don’t understand that so I’m going to ask her to clarify…”
• Modeling asking for clarification or sharing what you didn’t understand or didn’t remember, etc.

Lean in to Coach during Think-Pair-Share

When students turn to think pair share after this demonstration, I lean in to listen and coach with prompts like –

• What did your partner just say that you can build on?
• Look back at your notes. What did your partner already say? What do you see in your notes that will help you add on to that?
• Did you understand what your partner said? Is there a part of what she said that you need to hear again? Or ask for clarification about?

Hope this helps.

S

UPDATED JANUARY 2025