Getting Kids Talking!
Using Conversation Dice to Get Kids Reading and Talking!
This is probably the craziest blog post at the moment! I keep hearing from my students that their students do a lot of talking (particularly the kids in 4th and 5th grades!). But, I’m talking about how we can purposefully get kids speaking with each other and with us.
The spring semester has begun and I am responsible for the Literacy Clinic this spring. The Clinic is a practical experience for students who are in their final semester of graduate school. They work with kids from pre-school through 12th grade on literacy (reading, writing, speaking, and listening).
My students have not met the kids before and need to learn about the kids so that they know who they are as individuals and as readers and writers. Some of the kids are quiet and reluctant to share much with my students.
One tool that has been working well are question dice. One of my students who is working with first graders uses these very strategically with the two children she is teaching. She has been using them at the beginning of the session - for just a few minutes. The first graders roll the dice. They then need to read the question, think about it, and respond to the question.
They love this activity! It takes a maximum of five minutes - but the payoffs are huge. First, my student was able to informally assess how each child is reading and understanding what was on the cube. Next, my student is learning something about each child so that she can address their interests during her lessons. For example, she learned all about the movies that they like as well as what they like to do at home with their families. Finally, it is fun and the first graders see it as a game (even though it’s connected to literacy!). It’s a win-win!
One thing my student does that makes this so effective is that she keeps it short. She gives them 2-3 turns each and then moves on to the lesson she is teaching. It is not long, but it gets them started reading and speaking in a fun and engaging manner.