Structured Talk for How and Why Reasoning Change Package

“Structured talk for how and why reasoning”- a teaching practice developed by ELL and science teachers, researchers and coaches- goes beyond asking students to “turn-and-talk” in several ways. First, it includes roles for students to take on in conversation that are intentionally scaffolded to promote active listening and other kinds of talk (such as considering areas of agreement or disagreement, or asking for evidence). Second, structured talk protects equal time for talking to ensure that all students have a chance to air their ideas and hear varied ideas from each other.

The change package provides an overview of the practice and how it supports student reasoning, tools teachers have used, and practical measures teacher have collected to deepen and localize the practice.