Purposeful Talk
THE FUNDA MENTA L FIVE
Why Purposeful Talk
From The Fundamental Five…
1. Improve student retention by resetting attention span.
(primacy/recency)
2. Increase the rigor and relevance of instruction.
One other reason…
3. With a little bit of planning, this is a low maintenance way to
drastically improve your instruction.
Primacy/Recency Effect
…in a learning episode, we tend to remember best that which
comes first, and remember second best that which comes last.
We tend to remember least that which comes just past the
middle of the episode.
Sousa, 2001
The Fundamental Five, p.56
The Primacy/Recency Effect
Frequent purposeful talk allows
the teacher to create multiple
starts and stops throughout a
class period.
This creates several
“beginnings” and endings”
helping students to remember
more of the instruction.
Attention Span
Attention Span
Resetting the state of the classroom (changing
activities) “resets” attention span.
Its all about the seeds we plant!
RIGOR
It does not matter at what level of rigor
overall instruction is delivered. Through
the use of the seed question provided to
the small groups, the teacher can
increase the level of rigor at will.
Rigor
A good seed question requires the student to address the TEKS at the exact
thinking level of the verbs in the standard.
8.8B Explain the causes of the Civil War, including sectionalism, states' rights,
and slavery, and significant events of the Civil War, including the firing on Fort
Sumter; the battles of Antietam, Gettysburg, and Vicksburg; the
announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation; Lee's surrender at
Appomattox Court House; and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln;
Why was the Civil War fought?
Rigor
A great seed question allow the teacher to increase the rigor of any lesson
at will.
Was the Civil War avoidable?
RELEVANCE
Instead of the teacher spending precious
time trying to emphasize the relevance
of the content to the students – which in
many cases actually decreases relevance
for the student – the teacher simply
provides students with the opportunity
to create their own relevance.
Relevance
Well planned seed questions allow the teacher to shift
the relevance of the lesson to the real-world level.
1.13A identify characteristics of good citizenship, including truthfulness,
justice, equality, respect for oneself and others, responsibility in daily life,
and participation in government by educating oneself about the issues,
respectfully holding public officials to their word, and voting;
What are the characteristics of good citizenship?
Relevance
Well planned seed questions allow the teacher to shift
the relevance of the lesson to the real-world level.
How can students in elementary school be good citizens?
Relevance
Well planned seed questions allow the teacher to shift the relevance of the lesson to the
real-world level.
First grade math 1.2 (C) use objects, pictures, and expanded and standard forms to represent numbers up to
120;
(D) generate a number that is greater than or less than a given whole number up to 120;
(E) use place value to compare whole numbers up to 120 using comparative language;
Why is it important to understand the value of numbers?
Good Seed Questions
 are open ended
 promote discussion
 promote critical thinking
 promote responses that should be supported with evidence
 raise the rigor of a lesson
 increase the relevance of a lesson
th
5
Grade Social Studies Examples
5.1(A) explain when, where, and why groups of people explored, colonized, and settled in the
United States, including the search for religious freedom and economic gain;
What motivated people to explore and colonize the United States?
How are the reasons for early exploration similar to the reasons that we explore space today?
5.4(C) identify reasons people moved west;
What motivated people to move west in the 19 th century?
How were the reasons for colonization and westward expansion similar?
HS ELAR Example
E2.8 Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Culture and History. Students analyze,
make inferences and draw conclusions about the author's purpose in cultural, historical, and
contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding.
(A) Students are expected to analyze the controlling idea and specific purpose of a passage and
the textual elements that support and elaborate it, including both the most important details
and the less important details.
How does the author’s [language/structure/syntax] match his or her
purpose in writing?
MS ELAR Example
6.11 Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Persuasive Text. Students analyze,
make inferences and draw conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence from
text to support their analysis. Students are expected to
(A) compare and contrast the structure and viewpoints of two different authors
writing for the same purpose, noting the stated claim and supporting evidence
How does the author use evidence and research to support his or her
argument?
Explain which author presents better evidence to support his or argument.
Writing Good Seed Questions
Let's Practice!
6th grade science:
6.11A describe the physical properties, locations, and
movements of the sun, planets, Galilean moons, meteors,
asteroids, and comets
describe the physical properties, locations, and
movements of the sun, planets, Galilean moons,
meteors, asteroids, and comets
Let's Practice!
Give an example of the physical properties of the planets.
More rigorous:
◦ What is the relationship between the location of the sun to the
planets?
More rigorous and more relevant:
◦ What would happen if the sun were closer/farther to/away from
[planet]?
Let's Practice!
6.8A compare and contrast
potential and kinetic energy
Reflect on Seed Questions
Was this activity difficult or easy?
What made it so?
What are some of the most effective questions that you
have seen or heard?
Why are these questions effective?
The Most Important Point…
These questions are not questions that are intended to be used by the teacher to lead a
“class discussion.”
We all know that class discussions rarely involve the entire class, rather they involve a few
motivated students who understand that topic at hand and are eager to demonstrate
their knowledge and abilities. This leaves out
1. students who may be feeling confused by the concept.
2. students who are unsure of their level of understanding.
3. LEP students or others who may have difficulty expressing their thoughts or
understanding of the subject.
4. less motivated students who for one reason or another do not want to draw any
attention to themselves.
The Most Important Point…
Let students talk to each other!
after every 10-15 minutes of teacher talk
in groups of 2-4
in response to a seed question or as a part of a cooperative
learning task
Consider first the act of allowing students to talk,
purposefully and academically. In the initial attempts, this
effort will often be messy. A student-to-student
conversation is almost always social in nature. In addition,
many students are not used to talking to each other
academically, having rarely been given the opportunity. This
academic type of conversation will be awkward for them at
first, but given multiple supervised and guided
opportunities, they will rapidly improve.
Fundamental Five, p.65
Discuss…
What is your biggest concern about engaging
ALL students in frequent discussions every day?
Classroom Management for Purposeful Talk
 Grouping strategies
 Time limits and attention signals
 Accountable Talk
Products
Grouping Strategies
 Groups of 2-4 students
 Purposefully use a range of configurations
 Grouping strategies will vary according to the purpose of
the question or group task
Flexible Grouping Possibilities
 student choice
 interest
 homogeneous
 heterogeneous
 readiness/skill level
 random
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/choosingcollaborative-groups
Attention Signals
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/student-attention-getting-tip
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/silent-attention-getting-technique
Managing the Discussion
Respectful Talk
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/speaking-respectfully-nea
Sentence Starters
http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/accountable-discussions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6e3NKNSZjc (elementary example)
Talk Moves
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-ells-to-participate-in-discussions-ousd
(secondary example)
Managing the Discussion
Purposeful Talk and
Working in the
Power Zone go
together!
Concerns?
At this point, what are your biggest concerns about using
purposeful talk in the classroom?
How might you be able to overcome these obstacles?
4 Corners
Consider the following quote. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?
The PC has improved the world in just about every area you can think of. Amazing
developments in communications, collaboration and efficiencies. New kinds of
entertainment and social media. Access to information and the ability to give a voice
to people who would never have been heard.
- Bill Gates
Inside – Outside Circle
Secondary Example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91G11egVsQ0
Elementary Example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNONGkX89yE
Variations of Activity
http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/inside-outside-circles
Teacher Toolkit…
Take a few minutes to explore the TeacherToolkit site. Look for other
simple strategies that will help you intentionally plan for frequent
small group purposeful talk in your instructional routines.
Plan for it…
How will you apply this into your classroom in the first 6
weeks of school?
◦ Think about an important standard that you cover in the first 6
weeks.
◦ Plan a seed question to encourage deep discussion about this
topic.
◦ What strategies will you use to allow students to discuss their
responses to the seed question?
◦ What activities can you use to extend the discussions?