Social Studies Middle School Guide

Canyons School District

Instructional Supports Department

K-12 Talk Moves

Building Communicative Competencies with Talk Moves

Talk Move

Frames for Prompting

Frames for Responding

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Re-Voicing Teacher repeats what students have said and ask for clarifcation Purpose: Students clarify their own thinking so ideas are available to others. Repeating (Paraphrasing) Restating what another student has said in one’s own words. Purpose: Orients students to listen carefully to the thinking and/or reasoning of other students.

Is that what you were saying? Tell me if I am understanding you correctly. You are saying . . . ? Tell me more about that . . . What do you mean when you say. . . ? Give me an example of what you mean by . . . ?

Yes, that’s right/correct.

No. What I (meant/said) was . . .

So you are saying . . . I hear . . . Is that correct? I think/believe/know . . .

My (idea, answer, opinion) is . . .

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What was _____’s idea/opinion/statement?

I hear ____ say ______. My partner said . . . What do you mean by . . . ?

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Please tell us what _____ said in your own words. What did your partner say?

I didn’t hear you. Will you say that louder?

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Will you repeat that?

Can you explain that in another way?

Teacher Facilitated Discussion Moves Adopted, Fisher and Frey (2014, Close Reading and Writing From Sources; p. 99)

Discussion Move

Purpose

Example

Restating critical points to ensure the targeted information is suffciently emphasized. Instead of simply responding to the question, teacher reposes the question to the student/group.

That’s an important point!

Marking

_____, what do you think?

Redirecting students to do the thinking and responding

Assisting students to build on one another’s comments. Did everyone hear that? ____, can you add on?

Keep the speaking and listening opportunities going?

Help others to recall points made by the group to build connections.

Can you repeat what ____ said?

Link contributions

Ask for evidence and reasoning.

Can you add on to what ____ said? Can you clarify?

Verify and clarify

Press for accuracy

Refocus students on the text.

Where can you fnd that?

Link ideas from other texts and discussions to the current text.

How does this connect?

Build on prior knowledge

Press for reasoning

Cite textual evidence.

Why do you think that?

Press for elaboration of detail and further examples and evidence.

Take your time and say more.

Expand reasoning with questioning and wait time

Summarizing and highlighting statements to help students remember key ideas.

What have we discussed so far?

Recapping