Eliciting Academic

Productive Talk
Science and Math Talk
Moves for the Teacher and
the Students
Nancy Escamilla
E.P. Foster STEM Academy
January 2016

Talk as an Opportunity to
Think

Productive Discourse
Allows students
to
Compare
science or
math
explanations
Argue with
evidence
Critique a

Students Learn to Listen to

Each Other

Productive Discourse
Classroom Example
Teacher, Maricela Montoy-Wilson
has developed a culture of
classroom discourse.
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/persist-throug
h-challenges-perts

Science Talk is a Specialized

Language
Discipline Specific Forms of Talk
Hypothesizing
Debating what counts as a good
explanation
Arguing with evidence
Using language about setting up
credible experiments
Referring to patterns in data
Deciding how to revise a model

Classroom Norms for

Respectful Listening and
Discussion
Anyone can ask questions if they
dont understand an idea that is
being talked about.
We can critique ideas, but personal
attacks are not allowed.
Dont talk over your classmates.
The teacher will give think time.
In small group work, everyone will
contribute to the conversation.

How to Start
Need to wean
students from
initiation-responseevaluation type of
discussion.
Ask students to
think about the
question before
doing pair-share.
Teacher listens to
pair-share and then
calls on a student to
answer the

Goal # 1 Share, Expand and

Clarify
Time to think
Say More
So, Are You Saying
Dont telegraph
whether a response is
correct or incorrect.
Give credit to students
as originators of key
ideas

http://inquiryproject.terc
.edu/prof_dev/resources/vi
deo_cases/video_case.cfm?&
case_type=st&case_grade=4&
case_num=1&case_return=lib
rary&case_step=step4

Build a Culture of
Listening

http://inquiryproject.t
erc.edu/prof_dev/resour
ces/video_cases/video_c
ase.cfm?case_type=st&ca
se_num=2&case_return=li
brary

Listening and Adding on

Adding On to Someone Elses

Statement

http://inquiryproj
ect.terc.edu/prof_
dev/resources/vide
o_cases/video_case
.cfm?&case_type=st
&case_grade=4&case
_num=4&case_return
=library&case_step
=step3

Agreeing and Disagreeing

http://inquirypro
ject.terc.edu/pro
f_dev/resources/v
ideo_cases/video_
case.cfm?&case_ty
pe=st&case_grade=
4&case_num=4&case
_return=library&c
ase_step=step2

Group Activity
Talk with your fellow group members
and organize the Talk Moves into
categories of your choice.
Strategy for ELL, Recent Arrival,
Advanced Student, etc.
DOK Levels
Talk Moves to start with
or your own categories

Goal # 1
Share, Expand and
Clarify

Goal # 2
Listen Carefully

Goal # 3
Deepen Their
Reasoning

Goal # 4
Think with Others