Call and Response
attention_signals (2).mp4Description
Call-and-response interactions occur between a speaker and listeners and take the form of singular calls that are acknowledged by group responses. Responses can be solicited or spontaneous, and the calls or responses can be expressed linguistically, musically, verbally, or nonverbally. Call-and-response interactions are used to bring students to attention, think about class mantras, reinforce content, or celebrate achievements. When using call and response with students, first consider the purpose of the students’ response.
When students respond, it should be intended to accomplish one of the following:
To bring the class to attention
To re-engage the class
To reinforce key information
To celebrate a success
Model the expectation for how students will respond to the call with the appropriate response.
Use call and response frequently to support a culture of success and accountability.
Quick Tips
To increase rigor, allow students to create call-and-response options that reinforce content or review information for an upcoming assessment. Have students teach their calls and responses to the class.
Be sure to change up how you use them! When call and response is used in a multitude of ways, such as an attention getter, content reinforcement and celebration it increases the buy-in of the class.
Did you know?
Call and Response is a discourse pattern associated with African American religious tradition, but the technique can be traced beyond the early days of the Black church to other oral cultures around the world. It combines two of the archetypes: ritual and repetition. (Zaretta Hammond)