Checklist: Goals for Productive Discussions and Nine Talk Moves

Goal One: Help Individual students share, expand and clarify their own thinking Notes/Frequency of Use

1. Time to Think:

- Partner Talk
- Writing as Think Time
- Wait Time
 

2. Say More:

“Can you say more about that?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Can you give an example?”
 

3. So, Are You Saying...?:

“So, let me see if I’ve got what you’re saying. Are you saying...?”
(always leaving space for the original student to agree or disagree and say more)
 
Goal Two: Help Students listen carefully to one another  

4. Who Can Rephrase or Repeat?

“Who can repeat what Javon just said or put it into their own words?”
(After a partner talk) “What did your partner say?”
 
Goal Three: Help Students deepen their reasoning  

5. Asking for Evidence or Reasoning:

“Why do you think that?”
“What’s your evidence?“
“How did you arrive at that conclusion?”
 

6. Challenge or Counterexample:

“Does it always work that way?”
“How does that idea square with Sonia’s example?”
“What if it had been a copper cube instead?”
 
Goal Four: Help Students think with others  

7. Agree/Disagree and Why?:

“Do you agree/disagree? (And why?)”
“What do people think about what Ian said?”
“Does anyone want to respond to that idea?”
 

8. Add On:

“Who can add onto the idea that Jamal is building?”
“Can anyone take that suggestion and push it a little further?”
 

9. Explaining What Someone Else Means:

“Who can explain what Aisha means when she says that?”
“Who thinks they could explain why Simon came up with that answer?”
“Why do you think he said that?”
 

The Goals and Talk Moves are available in pdf format.