Collaborative Conversation: Think-Pair-Share Protocol

THINK-PAIR-SHARE

A simple, effective cooperative learning structure developed by Dr. Frank Lyman (1977).

Teacher presents question.
THINK: Students are cued to think before anyone responds.
PAIR: Students discuss their responses with a partner. Teacher listens in.
SHARE: Teacher calls on selected students to share their responses with the whole group. (It is not necessary for all pairs to share. As an alternative, the teacher may share responses that he or she overheard or pre-select partners to share. The strategic decision of what is shared should move the conversation forward toward the identified objective.)

Allows wait-time that has been shown by research to increase quality of student responses.
Makes students an ACTIVE PART of whole class mini-lessons, read-alouds, and activities.
Allows all students to participate in conversations and practice speaking and listening skills.
Provides an opportunity for students to practice what the teacher has just modeled.
Gives students opportunities to rehearse their thoughts with a partner before answering in front of the whole class. Both high and low achieving students have been shown to benefit from this process.
Extends student thinking by exposing them to multiple perspectives.

SAMPLE PRIMARY THINK-PAIR-SHARE ANCHOR CHART

SAMPLE INTERMEDIATE THINK-PAIR-SHARE ANCHOR CHART

Create and post an anchor chart with cues to teach and reinforce the process.
Assign children a partner and have them sit together.
Explain that before anyone raises his or her hand to respond to a question, they will follow three steps. These will let everyone have time to think and the opportunity to tell their answer.
Teach your signal for each step. You may want to use a hand signal combined with or instead of a verbal cue for think, pair, and share. For example, a finger to the forehead could signal “think.” (Some teachers like to use a finger over lips, which cue students that they do not talk during this time.) “Pair” can be two crossed fingers, and “share” an open, extended hand. No students should raise his/her hand to answer before the “share” signal is given.
Praise students for using active listening, for sharing their ideas, and for staying on topic.

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