Tara Bonewitz

Let’s share our thinking and evidence! Accountable Talk is used throughout the day within our classroom. Students are provided time to have constructive conversations about a story we have read to build understanding and make connections, discuss new vocabulary words, answer questions for deeper understanding, or review new math concepts we are learning.

This strategy is practiced and students are guided through this process of sharing ideas and finding evidence to back up their thinking. Students are seated in small groups or in pairs to discuss a given topic. They practice listening to others’ ideas, then responding to that idea. They can agree or disagree with that peer’s ideas in a positive manner by “adding to their thinking” or sharing their own opinion and evidence.

This supports all students in having meaningful conversations during large group time and builds confidence in sharing those ideas out during our large group discussions. It’s exciting to see students engaged in their learning and making connections through peer conversations. If you are sharing your ideas, you are learning!