Seven pages for small-group discussion of a text. Page 1 is a poster of six norms. Pages 2 and 3 are eight role cards, four for a group and four more to add or trade. Page 4 is eight talk cards. Page 5 is the prep sheet students fill in before the talk, page 6 the notes and conclusion they write during and after it, and page 7 a self-check for each student and the group.
Agree on the norms and post them. Start with the first four roles, model each one in a fishbowl, then add Evidence Finder, Word Watcher, Recorder and Timekeeper as groups grow. Assign the prep sheet as homework the night before a book talk, and have the Summarizer share each group's conclusion with the class.
Read the same article or chapter as your child, then talk about it. Ask: where in the text did you see that? and try a card like What I hear you saying is...
Discussion norms, role cards and talk cards for small-group discussions about a text. Students prepare with evidence, take on a role, use starters to build on ideas and disagree respectfully, record key ideas and sum up what the group decided.
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