From Conversaiont Start-Ups: Teacher's Guide, by R. Simms, 2002, Austin, TX: PRO-ED. Copyright 2002 by PRO-ED, Inc.
AUTHOR
Rosie Simms
Deborah Sweet
ART DIRECTOR
ILLUSTRATOR
Michael Sprong
EXECUTIVE EDITORS
SENIOR EDITOR
Kathy Creel and Jill Haney
Leslie Buteyn
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Jason Risner
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Larry Felder
Conversation Start-ups
PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Game Board
Spinner
6 Playing Pieces
1 Die
Teacher’s Guide
Permission to Reproduce
Permission is granted for the user to reproduce the designated blackline masters. Reproducible
pages are indicated by the symbol on the left side of the bottom margin. The reproduction of
any part of this program for commercial use or for an entire school system, hospital system, or
institutional system is strictly prohibited.
© 2002 by PRO-ED, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Printed in the United States of America
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!
WARNING:
CHOKING HAZARD — Small parts
not for children under 3 years or any
individuals who have a tendency to
place inedible objects in their mouths.
From Conversaiont Start-Ups: Teacher's Guide, by R. Simms, 2002, Austin, TX: PRO-ED. Copyright 2002 by PRO-ED, Inc.
Conversation Start-ups
INTRODUCTION
Conversation Start-Ups, by Rosie Simms, uses an interactive game format to introduce students
to social language. The purpose is to develop and improve conversation skills by having the
students begin and carry on conversations about familiar topics with other students. In order
to continue conversations, other students have the opportunity to make comments or ask
questions about the designated subject. The goal of the game is to encourage students to
think about ways to participate in conversations and ask and answer questions appropriately.
As students play the game and become more familiar with the skill of conversing, they will
become more comfortable with beginning and continuing conversations with others.
Students will be asked different levels of questions about everyday topics. When students are
asked questions about topics with which they are familiar, they feel comfortable responding
since the subject is something they know. Additionally, since the questions are opinion-based,
there are no right or wrong answers.
Conversation Start-Ups consists of a game board, a spinner, six playing pieces, and a die.
The game board features 30 squares, each with a conversation topic and an illustration that
represents that topic. Students use the die to determine how many spaces to move on the
game board. As a student lands on a square, he or she responds to a prompt about the
game-board square and answers a specific question about the topic on the square. Then,
the other players are given opportunities to use the spinner to continue the conversation
by asking a question or making a comment. Within each turn, students are invited to share
personal experiences, likes, and dislikes and ask and answer questions within a social setting.
Conversation Start-Ups is appropriate for a wide variety of classrooms and teaching settings,
including life skills, community-based instruction, language arts, resource, speech and
language, and ESOL classrooms. This easy-to-play game helps students of all ages become
better conversationalists.
To encourage parental involvement and reinforcement of conversation skills at home, a
reproducible Topic List has been included (pages 10 –11). This take-home topic list provides
an easy way for students to become more familiar with the conversation topics they
will encounter in the game. Additionally, parents can help their children prepare to play
Conversation Start-Ups by using these everyday topics to practice conversing.
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From Conversaiont Start-Ups: Teacher's Guide, by R. Simms, 2002, Austin, TX: PRO-ED. Copyright 2002 by PRO-ED, Inc.
Conversation Start-ups
THREE LEVELS OF PLAY
Conversation Start-Ups offers three levels of play, so it is appropriate for use with students
with varying levels of oral-language development. The levels of play range from basic
questions that begin conversations to more in-depth questions that require students to
use higher-order thinking skills. The Level One questions are appropriate for students who
have difficulty with conversation or understanding and using oral language. The Level Two
questions are appropriate for students who are more adept at conversation and using oral
language. The Level Three questions are designed for students to expand upon what they
know and use higher-order thinking skills. As each student lands on a square on the game
board, select a question that is most appropriate for that student based on his or her
language skill level. In order to ensure student success, prompting and cueing is encouraged
for students who have difficulty generating responses. Examples of prompting and cueing
techniques are included (pages 6 –7).
GETTING READY TO PLAY
Topic List: Several days before this game is played, give the students copies of the Parent
Letter (page 9) and the Topic List (pages 10–11) to take home so that they can practice
answering questions and having conversations about the different topics with their families.
On game day, invite the students to share their experiences of studying with their families.
Parent Letter
Topic List
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From Conversaiont Start-Ups: Teacher's Guide, by R. Simms, 2002, Austin, TX: PRO-ED. Copyright 2002 by PRO-ED, Inc.
Conversation Start-ups
Differentiating Between Questions and Comments: Before playing the game, make
sure the students understand the difference between questions and comments. Explain that
a question is something a person asks someone else in order to find out more information.
Questions end with question marks and require an answer. Comments are statements that
provide information about something and do not require an answer. Read the following
questions and comments, and call on student volunteers to identify the questions and
comments. Another option to increase student involvement is to prepare a class set of index
cards with the word “comment” written on them and a set with the word “question” written
on them. Distribute a “comment” card and a “question” card to each student. Instruct the
students to hold up the appropriate card after you say the following questions and comments:
How are you? (question)
What time do you go to bed? (question)
It is a beautiful day. (comment)
What did you have for breakfast? (question)
I got up early this morning. (comment)
My dog’s name is Rusty. (comment)
Are you in a good mood today? (question)
I drive a blue car. (comment)
My daughter is 16. (comment)
Did you see the baseball game yesterday? (question)
My favorite color is red. (comment)
Why was the bus driver late today? (question)
After the students have correctly identified each question and comment, allow the students
to take turns making up questions and comments for the group to identify.
Generating Questions: Some students will have difficulty formulating questions about
various topics. As a warm-up activity, have the students come up with “wh” questions (who,
what, when, where, and why) about different topics. For example, if a student states, “My
favorite animal is my pet lizard,” the students might ask the following questions:
Who cleans the lizard’s cage?
What does the lizard look like?
When did you get the lizard?
Where does the lizard sleep at night?
Why is the lizard your favorite animal?
Make up additional statements that would be appropriate responses to the prompts on
the game board. Have student volunteers create “wh” questions about those statements.
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From Conversaiont Start-Ups: Teacher's Guide, by R. Simms, 2002, Austin, TX: PRO-ED. Copyright 2002 by PRO-ED, Inc.
Conversation Start-ups
Creating New Topics for Conversation: Tell the students that anything can be a topic of
conversation. In order to reinforce this idea, have each student cut out pictures from magazines
and glue them on a sheet of construction paper. Instruct each student to take his or her paper
home and practice talking about the items pictured on the paper with his or her family.
GAME COMPONENTS
The Game Board: Show the students the colorful game board featuring illustrations of 30
everyday topics. Point out that each picture has a prompt listed underneath it. The illustrations
and prompts represent the topics that students will answer questions about as they land on
the squares. There are four “fun move” spaces on the game board, including the “GO” space.
The “GO” space becomes a “fun move” space after the game begins. If a student lands on
one of these spaces, he or she should follow the instructions written on the space.
The Spinner: Show the students the spinner, and point
out that it is divided into four sections. Two of the sections
say “Ask a Question,” and two of the sections say “Make
a Comment.” After a student lands on a square; responds
to a question about the prompt on the square; and answers
a Level One, Level Two, or Level Three question, the rest of
the students take turns spinning the spinner and following
the directions on the spinner.
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From Conversaiont Start-Ups: Teacher's Guide, by R. Simms, 2002, Austin, TX: PRO-ED. Copyright 2002 by PRO-ED, Inc.
Conversation Start-ups
HOW TO PLAY
Game Setup: Distribute a “Score Sheet” to each player, and place the game board on a flat
surface. Allow each player to select a playing piece and place it on the “GO” square. Place the
spinner and die near the game board. Determine which player will take the first turn. Play will
continue in a clockwise order after the first player’s turn.
Game Play: After the first player rolls the die and moves to a square, ask the player to respond
to the prompt on the game board. For example, if the square says “Your favorite book,” say,
“Tell me about your favorite book.” The player should respond. This begins the conversation.
Then, choose one of the Level One, Level Two, or Level Three questions (pages 15–24) for the
player to answer, depending on his or her ability level, and state the question aloud. Allow the
player to respond to your second question. Then, moving in a clockwise order, the next player
uses the spinner to find out whether to ask a question or make a comment about the first
player’s response. If the spinner lands on “Ask a Question,” the second player might ask,
“Who wrote the book?” The original player should answer the question. If the spinner lands
on “Make a Comment,” the second player might say, “Oh, I like that book, too!” Since this
is a comment and not a question, the original player does not respond. This process continues
until all the players (except the first player) have had an opportunity to spin the spinner and
ask a question or make a comment. At that point, it is the next player’s turn.
To Speed Up the Game: In order to make the game proceed more quickly, you may wish
to limit the number of students who continue the conversation after each player lands on a
square. For example, have only one or two players sitting to the left of the player who lands
on a square spin and ask a question or make a comment.
Questions and Prompts: Since the purpose of the game is to encourage students to
converse and thereby improve their speech and language skills, cueing the students with
questions and prompts would be appropriate. For example, if a student is having trouble
coming up with a response to the prompt “Your favorite book,” you might use questions
and prompts as follows:
Teacher: Do you have books in your house?
Student: Yes.
Teacher: Where do you keep most of your books?
Student: In the bookshelf.
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From Conversaiont Start-Ups: Teacher's Guide, by R. Simms, 2002, Austin, TX: PRO-ED. Copyright 2002 by PRO-ED, Inc.
Conversation Start-ups
Teacher: Close your eyes, and imagine that you are looking at the bookshelf.
What books do you see there?
Student: I see Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Where the Red Fern Grows,
Charlotte’s Web, and The Giving Tree.
Teacher: Which of those books do you like to read the most?
Student: Charlotte’s Web.
Teacher: You told me that Charlotte’s Web is your favorite book to read. That is
a great way to start a conversation!
If a student is assigned the task of asking a question and is having difficulty thinking of a
question, you might use questions and prompts as follows:
Teacher: Susan just said that her favorite book is Charlotte’s Web. Try to think of
a question about the book that begins with “Who,” “What,” “When,”
“Where,” or “Why.”
Student: I can’t think of one.
Teacher: If I wanted to know why Susan liked the book so much, what would I ask?
Student: Why do you like Charlotte’s Web?
Teacher: Excellent! You continued the conversation by asking a question about
the book.
If a student is assigned the task of making a comment and is having difficulty thinking of
a comment, you might use questions and prompts as follows:
Teacher: Susan just said that her favorite book is Charlotte’s Web. Try to think of
a comment about the book.
Student: I have never read that book. I don’t know what to say about it.
Teacher: Okay, you could make a comment by telling Susan the name of your
favorite book.
Student: My favorite book is Old Yeller.
Teacher: Excellent! You continued the conversation by making a comment about
your favorite book.
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From Conversaiont Start-Ups: Teacher's Guide, by R. Simms, 2002, Austin, TX: PRO-ED. Copyright 2002 by PRO-ED, Inc.
Conversation Start-ups
Keeping Score: Each player keeps track of his
or her score using the “Score Sheet” (page 12).
Players earn one point for responding to the
initial prompt about the topic on the square
(beginning a conversation), asking a question,
and making a comment. Therefore, every player
has an opportunity to earn one point during
each round.
Score Sheet
Ending the Game: Since the purpose of this game is to encourage conversation, there are
several options for determining the end of a game. For example, you might have the students
play for a predetermined amount of time, have the students stop playing once one player has
reached a certain number on the score sheet, have the students stop playing once one player
has moved around the game board a certain number of times, or have the students mark the
squares on the reproducible Topic Lists for the game-board squares they have landed on and
stop playing once one player has marked a certain number of squares.
Positive Reinforcement: In order to reinforce and encourage good conversational skills,
reproducible certificates have been included (page 13). After playing the game, distribute
the appropriate certificate to students who have successfully displayed a particular
conversational skill.
Assessment Checklist: The assessment checklist (page 14) provides an easy way to track
students’ progress in conversation skills. The assessment checklist can be used for daily grading
purposes, or it can be used periodically to note progress or check for mastery.
Write the student’s name, the current date, your name, and the language being used on
the assessment checklist. Each time an assessment is completed, record the date in the
appropriate column. Use the full-color illustrations on the game board to assess the student’s
ability to talk about each of the topics. Starting with the first item on the assessment form,
point to the item on a game board and respond to the prompt. For example, with the “Your
favorite book” square, you might say, “My favorite book is Island of the Blue Dolphins.” Then,
instruct the student to ask a question and make a comment about what you have said. For
each correct response, mark a ✔ in the appropriate box. If the student responds incorrectly,
mark an X in the box.
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