By April Connelley
One universal practice that applies to all learners is the opportunity to process information by talking about it. Small group talk is a critical part of learning for everyone. It’s one of the most beneficial practices to embed in classrooms.
In general, this is a common understanding among educators. However, despite knowing its importance it seems to be something we think is happening, but when we look closely, we may be surprised that it isn’t happening as frequently as we thought.
In Sean Cain and Mike Laird’s book, The Fundamental 5, opportunities for small group talk can be defined as a time when the teacher stops and allows small groups of 2-4 students to have a micro discussion based on seed questions that spark student interest and encourages students to process their learning.
Here are a few things to consider when planning for frequent small group discussions.
Try to plan for quick discussions every 10-15 minutes of learning.
Keep the conversations quick and focused, timing them between 30 seconds to 3 minutes.
Create procedures when partners or small groups of 3 or 4 talk to each other. Don’t make the groups too big because that will likely allow someone to sit back and not engage.
Teachers should stay engaged during the discussions, moving around and listening in on various conversations.
Plan purposeful seed questions that guide students to focus on content and allow teachers to check for understanding. Power zone -the teacher remains in the power zone during the conversations
Taking time to personally reflect on your own teaching practices is a trait of an effective teacher. Take a few moments to reflect on a few of your recent lessons focusing on small group purposeful talk. See if you can identify strengths and opportunities for growth.
Think about a few of your recent lessons, reflect on small group purposeful talk…
Was it every 10-15 minutes?
Did it take between 30 seconds and 3 minutes?
Did I have students grouped appropriately?
Were my seed questions engaging?
Did I listen in while students were sharing? Did I give guidance and feedback when appropriate?
Even though micro discussions can be easy to skip over when pressed for time, it is important not to let that happen. Learners need time to process what we are hoping to teach them and need to express the information in their own words. Prioritizing small group purposeful talk leads to increased learning and is easy to embed in all classrooms!
I’d love to hear about ways you embed small group purposeful talk into your lessons!
