Student Discourse
Definition:
Refers to meaningful discussions and interactions among students in the classroom. It involves students actively engaging in dialogue, expressing their ideas, asking questions, and listening to and respecting the perspectives of their peers. It promotes critical thinking, social-emotional development, and deeper understanding of concepts.
Best Practice
- Create a safe and inclusive classroom environment that values respectful communication, active listening, and open-mindedness
- Provide explicit instruction on how to engage in meaningful and respectful conversations, including turn-taking, paraphrasing, and asking probing questions
- Model active listening and provide feedback to students on their communication skills
- Use collaborative structures to support how students will engage in discourse with one another
- Provide clear expectations and guidelines for respectful communication and active participation in class discussions
- Scaffold and differentiate discourse activities
- Allow time for reflection and debriefing after discussions to help students consolidate their learning
Examples:
Collaborative discussion structures, Literature Circles, sentence frames, debate, Responsive Classroom, Socratic Seminar