Building Comprehension

with Student Discussions

Kristina HenneiseHolly BarksdaleEast Peoria District 86

Contact Information• Kristina Henneise: henneisk@epd86.org

• Holly Barksdale: barksdaleh@epd86.org

Google Kristina Henneise and go to Teacher Web. On my website, go to “Presentations” to download this PPTX.

Why Use Discussion?“Discussion is an important tool of learning. It

engages students, broadens their perspectives, and promotes mean-making, decision-making, and higher-level thinking. Discussion is difficult, even for adults” (Spiegel, 2005, p. 9).

CCSS – Speaking & ListeningComprehension and Collaboration • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1 Prepare for and

participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/CCRA/SL

CCSS – Speaking & ListeningPresentation of Knowledge and Ideas • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.4 Present

information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.5 Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.

• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/CCRA/SL

From a Sociocultural Perspective• The roles of the teacher and the learner are critical,

interactive, culturally significant processes.• Learning should take place through guided

participation in cultural activities, as opposed to the often used transmission of information.

• Vygotsky articulates the social nature of learning and illustrates how teachers must scaffold students’ discourse.

• “Within the sociocultural perspective language plays a vital role, enabling learners to gain, process, organize, and evaluate knowledge.” (Maloch, 2002, p. 97)

Moving Beyond IRE• IRE patterns are often found in classroomsI – The teacher interrogates.

R – The students respond.E – The teacher evaluates the responses.

Downfalls to IRE:• Teacher led versus student led• Students don’t listen to each other• Often only a few students participate

Good Discussion Questions• Do not have one right answer• Focus on the big idea(s), not a little detail• Lead to other questions

Recommended Reading

Teaching Students to Discuss• Students do not inherently know how to

discuss – we have to teach them.• When we ask students what they think, they

often don’t know. They’ll shrug or grunt and think they’re off the hook.

• Building discussion techniques takes time and instruction.

Spiegel, D.L. (2005). Classroom discussion: Strategies for engaging all students, building higher-level thinking skills, and strengthening reading and writing across the curriculum. New York: Scholastic.

Effective Discussion Strategies

• Listening to others with an open mind• Viewing others as sources of information and not just as an

audience for one’s own views• Being willing to rethink and revise after listening to others• Finding a focus for discussion• Learning how to stay on task• Trusting one’s self as a thinker and trusting others to respect

those thoughts even if they disagree• Developing courage to speak up with a new idea, a challenge,

an offer of support• Accepting the transfer of the responsibility for a good

discussion from the teacher to the students• Learning how to facilitate and participate in discussions

without the teacher’s guiding hand

Supporting Ideas with Evidence from the Text“All teachers have had the frustrating and sometimes hilarious experience of asking students for clarification and receiving a completely unexpected response. For example, I’ve heard 25 sweet little voices chirp ‘Happy’ when I’ve asked how a character felt. And when I asked, ‘Are you sure?’ the same 25 sweet little voices immediately, without missing a beat, chirped ‘Sad.” Aargh! This happens, I believe because students are used to being asked for clarification and proof only when they are wrong” (Spiegel, 2005, p. 95-96).

• Prepare students by telling them you’ll ask questions such as “Are you sure?” “What proof do you have?” and “Can you say that another way so that I understand it better?”

• Warn students you’ll ask these questions whether you agree or disagree with their answer.

Ensure Accuracy• Right Logic, Wrong Information

“You are on track when you say ______, but _____________.”

• Right Logic, Incomplete Information“I like the way you are thinking. Here’s some information that can make your argument even stronger. Did you

know…”• Valid Attempt, Wrong Information and,

therefore, Invalid Conclusion“I can see why you think______. But,

you are basing that conclusion on a faulty piece of information. It is not true that _______. So, we can’t conclude________.”

Modeling1. Teach – The teacher identifies a

problem, gives an example, and suggests a strategy to use.

2. Model – The teacher models using the strategy.

3. Analyze – Have the students analyze what the teacher did. “Who notices what I did to keep the discussion going?

4. Give the students opportunities to practice the strategy.

• 1 person talks at a time• Give others a chance to share ideas.• If you don’t agree… say so, but be polite!

• Listen carefully! What is the speaker saying? Has the speaker finished speaking?

• I agree with ____, but I also think…

• I think that’s a good idea and also…

• Yes, but I also feel…

• I don’t really agree with that because…

• I don’t think so because…

• That’s not what I think it meant because…

• What did you mean when you said that…

• I don’t understand what you’re saying. Tell me again…

• Can you explain that again?

• I was wondering why…?• How come…?• Why do you think…?

• Because in the book it says…• My family and I did something like that when…

• I think so because…• Well, that’s not what I meant. What I meant was…

Reading Literature• With close reading, read first to

recount the story. “The Common Core argues that if students don’t understand what a text says explicitly, they won’t have a clue about doing textual analysis” (Calkins, Ehrenworth, Lehman, 2012, p. 39).

Readers have to “get” the text

• “Readers need to get their mental arms around the text, to be able to retell it, to cite it, to ground anything they have to say about the text with textual references, to talk and think in ways that are confined within what you might call ‘the four corners of the text’ (Calkins, Ehrenworth, Lehman, 2012, p. 39).

• “Something is amiss when readers merely glance at a text and then talk off from it, leaving the specifics of the text behind” (Calkins, Ehrenworth, Lehman, 2012, p. 40).

Recounting Literature• Have students recount the text, citing specific

textual evidence.• Students add in details that seem important,

remind each other of parts or specific words that seem important

• Students use strategies for disagreeing constructively, clarifying, and linking to each others’ ideas to recount the text together- “I think the part where ______ is important…” - “Wait, we left out an important part…”- “I don’t think that part’s an important detail because…”

After recounting…• Move from literal understanding to a deeper

understanding.• “What is this story beginning to be

about?” (Central ideas / themes – pay attention to the interaction of characters and events)

• “What might a character have learned that I, too, could learn?”

• Stories are about more than one idea, so push students to think of a few different ideas the story is exploring.

• “What in the story makes you say that?”

Craft and Structure• After focusing on what the text says, focus

on how the text says it• Use evidence from the text words and

illustrations to back up answers• “How do you know that (insert character

name) feels (insert feeling) ? What words does the author use to show this?”

• “Which words really call our attention here? What do we notice as we read them?” (imagery, figurative language, metaphors, word choice – read like a writer)

Nonfiction &Close Reading

• “Say back what the text has taught you so far”

• Use textual analysis, not personal response – “The Common Core standards don’t concern themselves with what you already know, or think you know, or how you feel about the topic” (Calkins, Ehrenworth, Lehman, 2012, p. 77).

• Students will need to look back at the text and remind each other of details

Determining Central Ideas/Themes of Nonfiction

• Just like with fiction, move on to “What is this article (book, passage, etc.) starting to be about?”

• “What in the article makes you say that?”

• Students link to each other’s comments, disagree constructively, or ask for clarification

Video on the Internet to WatchThe Teaching Channel: Analyzing Texts: "Text

Talk Time” https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/analyzing-text-as-a-group

Making Meaning in Literature http://www.learner.org/workshops/makingmeaning/makingmeaning/encouraging/?pop=yes&pid=1829

Assessing Discussion• Assess no more than two factors at a time

and focus on them until you see improvement• Prioritize what you will assess• Assess, Practice, Assess

- Assess periodically, but not at every meeting a discussion group has. Once 3 or more consecutive assessments show satisfactory performance, have the group select a new area of focus

Record KeepingName ____________ Date _____Observation Notes:

Quality Well Developed

Developing Poorly Developed

Works with Big Ideas

Develops Big Ideas on own; introduces Big Ideas into discussion

Understands Big Ideas when introduced by others

Does not understand Big Ideas

Works with Little Ideas

Uses Little Ideas to develop or support Big Ideas; notes important details

Notes important details but does not use them to develop or support Big Ideas

Does not notice or use details

Spiegel, D.L. (2005). Classroom discussion: Strategies for engaging all students, building higher-level thinking skills, and strengthening reading and writing across the curriculum. New York: Scholastic.

ReferencesApplebee, A.N., Langer, J.A., Nystrand, M., & Gamoran, A. (2003). Discussion-based approaches to developing understanding: Classroom instruction and student performance in middle and high school English. Educational Research Journal, 40(3), 685-730.

Calkins, L., Ehrenworth, M., & Lehman, C. (2012). Pathways to the Common Core. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat. (2011, April). Grand conversations in primary classrooms. Capacity Building Series (Secretariat Special Edition 18), 1-8.

Maloch, B. (2002). Scaffolding student talk: One teacher’s role in literature discussion groups. Reading Research Quarterly, 37(1), 94-112.

Spiegel, D.L. (2005). Classroom discussion: Strategies for engaging all students, building higher-level thinking skills, and strengthening reading and writing across the curriculum. New York: Scholastic.