Why Should Students Talk?
Like good writing, good talking supports student literacy by promoting student thinking. Both writing and conversation require students to organize ideas and communicate them effectively. According to Fisher and Frey (2014), “In the hands of a skilled teacher, the speaking and listening that students do result in deeper understanding, increased engagement, and significant satisfaction with schooling” (p. 19). As a faculty member in the Teacher Education department at Missouri Southern State University, I teach the Content Area Literacy course to students preparing to be middle school and high school content teachers. In this course, we talk about strategies teachers can use to integrate meaningful reading, writing, and conversation into their math, fine arts, physical education, science, and English classrooms. Over the course of the semester, I provide a variety of informational text. We read and talk about the Mozart Effect, monosodium glutamate (MSG), the dangers of smoking, literary elements, and Newton’s laws of motion.
The standards are clear. Students are expected to begin developing speaking and listening skills in as early as kindergarten. Students are also expected to develop the skills to successfully read and comprehend text with increased complexity. As with any other skill, students need practice in multiple classrooms and content areas to become proficient. Too often, we ask students to read in isolation. Some students, especially those who struggle, will go through the process of reading without making meaning of the text. A reading-conversation relationship allows students to share ideas and questions and collaboratively work to build understanding.
Student talk can also be excellent formative assessment. City (2014) said, “Talking matters for learning. Although it’s possible to think without talking and to talk without much thinking, each can strengthen the other. Talking also provides windows into what students are learning” (p. 12).
Before Students Talk…
Work with students to identify rules of engagement—Some students will be more skilled than others when it comes to how to have an appropriate conversation. Ask students for ideas about how to have healthy, productive talk. If they are stuck, ask them how they like their family and
friends to talk to them. Most likely, students will identify things such as taking turns when speaking, respecting others’ ideas, and listening instead of waiting to talk. Conversational ground rules encourage an environment where students are not afraid to express ideas and help students build trust.
Post the rules so everyone can see them and use them as a gentle reminder if someone breaks a rule. The teacher will also need to consider whether or not to participate in student conversations. I support teacher participation because teachers can model crucial conversation skills, especially how to respectfully disagree.
Make it meaningful—This is the most important part of designing an effective conversation activity. According to Fisher and Frey (2014), “Setting the stage for meaningful student talk requires well-designed tasks that provide authentic purposes for students to engage in discussion as they resolve challenging problems” (p. 20). The teacher needs to determine the goal of the conversation and structure it accordingly. The goal may be to scaffold a text (identify pre-reading questions,
identify major topics and supporting themes in
36