Accountable Talk

Developed by Lauren Resnick (2000) and a team of researchers at the Institute for Learning/University of Pittsburgh. See the Institute for Learning website www.instituteforlearning.org See also Checking for Understanding 23-24.

Standards: SL1, SL2, SL3, SL4, SL6

The guidelines developed for this strategy describe the agreements students and their teachers commit to as they engage in partner conversations:

• Stay on topic.
• Use information that is accurate and appropriate for the topic.
• Think deeply about what the partner has to say.
• Press for clarification and explanation. For example, “Could you describe what you mean?”
• Require justification of proposals and challenges: “Where did you find that information?”
• Recognize and challenge misconceptions: “I don’t agree because…”
• Demand evidence for claims and arguments: “Can you give me an example?”
• Interpret and use each other’s statements: “David suggested…”