5 important “talk moves” in a guided math discussion
Teacher engages in focused talk, utilizing various “talk moves” throughout the guided math discussion. Chapin, O’connor and Anderson (2003) propose 5 talk moves. The first talk move involves “revoicing” repeating what the student has said. The second talk move involves asking students to “restate” what one of the peers has said. The third talk move requires that students consider each others’ reasoning by “agreeing or disagreeing” with a bodily gesture- such as thumbs up or down. The fourth talk move asks students to “add on” or contribute, extend or expand upon what has already been said. The fifth talk move requires teachers to use wait time so that students have time to process their own thinking and prepare to talk. Throughout the Guided Math lesson, teachers should employ these talk moves in order to better facilitate the discussion and hold the children accountable to the ongoing conversation.