Children learn a great deal, academically and socially, by collaborating—working together toward common goals. A good way to help students begin developing collaboration skills is by teaching them how to exchange ideas, information, and opinions as they converse with partners or in small groups. Partner and small-group chats require complex skills best taught in the Read More »
Continue Reading
JAN
07
2014
Magnetic Friendships
As a kid, I was fascinated by magnets: the force they exert, the way they could push and pull through tables, windows, and papers . . . sometimes without even touching! Now…
Continue Reading
Continue Reading
MAR
09
2012
Partner Sharing in Morning Meeting
If you visited my classroom during Morning Meeting these days, you’d probably see first graders working with partners and using the conversation skills we’ve been working on all year. We’re now doing…
Continue Reading
Continue Reading
FEB
23
2012
Partner Greetings in Morning Meeting
By now my first grade students are pretty good at chatting with a partner. They know how to pair up quickly and how to decide who will go first. They sit knee-to-knee…
Continue Reading
Continue Reading
JAN
24
2012
Building Community One Child at a Time
Grafton Elementary School has 750 students in grades 3 to 5. With over 200 children at each grade level, it's easy for children to feel invisible, especially in spaces beyond the classroom,…
Continue Reading
Continue Reading
OCT
24
2011
Teaching Children How to Converse
These days, curriculum often recommends using "partner chats," "turn-and-talk," and other one-on-one conversation strategies to help students reflect on and deepen their learning. Although it may seem like a simple thing, chatting…
Continue Reading
Continue Reading
OCT
24
2011
First, Partner Skills
This year didn't start off quite as I'd planned. I'd hoped to start teaching conversation skills right at the beginning of school, but once I met my new class, I decided that…
Continue Reading
Continue Reading