45 Talk Moves
Courtney Denmark
Strategy in Action
- Talk Moves is a strategy used to help students engage in classroom discussions. It is a collection of hand signals that are explicitly taught so that they can be used by all students to contribute to the conversation.
- This is important because there are a lot of times when students don’t know what to say in a discussion, or they don’t know how to contribute. These signals promote interaction.
- By having these signals, students can further identify their own needs. Do they agree? Do they disagree? Do they need something repeated? Do they need clarification? All types of discussion are included in Talk Moves.
- This can be used in any kind of classroom. Classroom discussions are a big part of all academic disciplines, and teaching students the signals associated with building discussion will help them learn.
- Talk Moves supports oral language by encouraging students to speak and listen— contributing their own thoughts to the conversation.
Strategy in Action
This strategy could be used after a classroom read aloud. Students will be taught the first three signals (agree, add on, disagree) in order to respond to their peers’ opinions on the story that is being read. In subsequent lessons, students would learn the other signals and eventually be able to contribute all eight at any time.
Related Resources:
Smekens Education Solutions, Inc. (2024, August 1). Require students to listen during conversations with Talk moves. https://www.smekenseducation.com/require-students-to-listen-during-conversations-with-talk-moves/
