The New York State Literacy Briefs are clear: we need to engage students in high impact literacy practices. In particular, we need to engage them in text-based discussions and writing opportunities. Learners need to discuss and debate what they read. They need protocols and routines to promote discussion and debate skills.
This workshop supports educators in explicitly teaching students how to discuss (talking to think) and how to debate (talking to prove). Participants will:
Define talking to think and talking to prove
Create a progression of talking to think and talking to prove
Study structures, routines and games to make talk visible and concrete for students
Consider how to group students to foster an inclusive learning environment in which students feel safe to share and take risks in their text-based discussions
Academic discourse lives in our literacy blocks and across our day. This workshop will provide strategies that can be used across content areas, creating the opportunity for practice throughout the school day.