Embedded Files
Overview
Overview
Academic Discourse is purposeful, structured student talk that deepens understanding, clarifies thinking, and builds critical communication skills. It moves beyond simple Q&A to meaningful dialogue where students explain, justify, question, and expand each other’s ideas using academic language.
🎯 Why It Matters
🎯 Why It Matters
Develops critical thinking and reasoning skills
Makes learning visible through talk and listening
Builds students’ confidence and ability to articulate ideas
Promotes collaboration and respectful dialogue
Supports language development, especially for multilingual learners
When students talk about their learning — with structure and purpose — they learn more deeply and remember it longer.
🧠 Strategy Checklist
🧠 Strategy Checklist
🔹 BEFORE THE LESSON
☐ Identify when and where discourse will elevate understanding
☐ Choose or design structures (Socratic Seminar, Fishbowl, Think-Pair-Share, Debate)
☐ Develop discussion questions linked to learning goals
☐ Prepare scaffolds: sentence stems, accountable talk prompts, discussion norms
☐ Teach students how to listen actively and respond respectfully
🔹 DURING THE LESSON
☐ Introduce norms for academic talk (use of evidence, respectful disagreement)
☐ Pose open-ended, thought-provoking questions
☐ Model or role-play expected dialogue moves
☐ Facilitate, prompt, and extend student responses
☐ Use partner, small group, and whole-class formats for variety
🔹 AFTER THE LESSON
☐ Debrief: What did students learn from each other?
☐ Use student reflections to strengthen discourse skills
☐ Gather evidence of understanding through talk notes, exit slips, or group reports
☐ Adjust next lessons to revisit unclear ideas or extend thinking
👀 Look-Fors
👀 Look-Fors
All students participate in structured, purposeful talk
Students use academic language and evidence to support ideas
Teacher prompts go beyond recall to justification and elaboration
Students respond to each other, not just to the teacher
Norms for respectful listening and speaking are evident
📈Continuum of Practice
📈Continuum of Practice
FOUNDATIONAL
Teacher:
Teacher asks questions but talk is mostly teacher-directed.
EMERGING
Teacher:
Teacher uses some discussion structures but may dominate talk time.
PROFICIENT
Teacher:
Teacher uses purposeful discourse structures, prompts for evidence, and scaffolds language use.
TRANSFORMING
Teacher:
Teacher fosters a culture where students lead discourse, challenge ideas, and extend thinking independently.
Student:
Students respond briefly to the teacher but do not build on ideas.
Student:
Students participate in talk but depth and engagement vary.
Student:
Students engage in academic dialogue, support ideas, and build on peer responses.
Student:
Students actively facilitate discussions, use academic language fluently, and co-construct understanding.
🗃️ Structures
🗃️ Structures
CONVERSATION ROUTINES
Establish predictable norms that help all students participate with confidence.
Turn & Talk: Use specific prompts and a timer; model what strong partner talk sounds like
Think-Pair-Share: Build in time to think before students speak
Sentence Stems: Provide frames like “I agree because…,” “Can you clarify…,” or “I’d like to add…”
Accountable Talk Norms: Post and reinforce expectations for listening, building, and disagreeing respectfully
STRUCTURED DISCUSSIONS
Use repeatable formats that scaffold deeper conversation and student-led inquiry.
Socratic Seminar: Students engage in text-based discussion with minimal teacher intervention
Four Corners: Students take a position on a statement and defend it with evidence
Save the Last Word: Students share quotes or ideas and explain why they stood out — others respond first
Philosophical Chairs: Debate-style structure with movement based on evolving perspective
PREPARATION & SUPPORT
Help students build ideas and vocabulary before they’re expected to share aloud.
Discussion Planning Sheets: Students jot down ideas, evidence, and potential questions
Idea Catchers: Notetaking tools for tracking peer ideas during discussions
Vocabulary Boost Cards: Provide academic words or Tier 2/3 terms they should try using
Think Time Protocols: Intentionally pause to give time for internal processing — especially helpful for multilingual learners and introverts
EQUITY & ENGAGEMENT
Ensure all voices are heard — not just the fast finishers or extroverts.
Discussion Chips or Talk Sticks: Each student has a limited number of turns to ensure balanced participation
Fishbowl Discussions: Inner circle discusses while outer circle observes, then switch
“No Opt Out” Norm: Every student is expected to participate in some way — through speaking, listening, or responding in writing
Student-Led Facilitation: Gradually release responsibility for leading parts of discussion (greeting, question-asking, time-keeping)
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