Wondering about steps to help engage all students in meaningful math discussions? I believe that telling “students what to listen for” helps students learn to engage fully in discussions. Damon Bahr and Kim Bahr describe four steps that enhance listening in their February 2017 TCM article Engaging All Students in Mathematical Discussions.
By telling students what to listen for, more students think about how what they hear connects to a purpose or idea. They can be held accountable for this listening. You can even call on students at random, as the authors suggest, increasing participation. We can model and teach listening and then use routines to get all students engaged.
You can model students working to listen with purpose by reading and discussing my Use Your Math Power picture books. Your students can analyze what the books’ characters are being asked to listen for and how they follow through. Teachers looking for instructional moves to enhance discussions can analyze how Ms. Green, the teacher, helps her students listen more effectively.
In Monkeys for the Zoo, Ms. Green reads a problem twice and tells her students, “Now talk about this problem with your partner. Get ready to tell us what you think this problem is about.” After partners have shared, she says “Carlos, tell us what you and your partner think. Then we can act it out.” With these instructions she gives students a specific purpose by telling them how they will use what they hear.
Later she asks, “What is Ellie’s idea? Will it work?” By telling students to focus on whether the idea will work, she lets them know she will hold them accountable for thinking about their classmates’ explanations.
There are similar examples in Hatching Butterflies and Penguins on Parade. One of my favorites is in Hatching Butterflies when a pair of students is getting ready to share their problem solving strategy with the class. Ms. Green says, “Listen carefully, everyone. Then you’ll be able to explain what they did.”
Once the pair of students has finished sharing, Ms. Green calls on a student randomly to explain the strategy. Then she asks if there are any questions. Because the listeners were really thinking about the strategy, they raise questions about unclear parts of the explanation. This is the kind of listening and interaction that empowers students as thinkers and learners. Careful listening was key!
I highly recommend focusing on listening to help enhance math discourse in your classroom. I hope the article Engaging All Students in Mathematical Discussions and my Use Your Math Power books can help you in this endeavor.
“Engaging All Students in Mathematical Discussions”; Damon L. Bahr and Kim Bahr; Teaching Children Mathematics; February 2017, Vol. 23, Issue 6