Think-Pair-Share
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What is Think-Pair-Share?
Think-Pair-Share is a learning strategy that promotes classroom participation and helps to increase students understanding of a topic. This strategy is designed to differentiate instruction by giving students time to think about a specific topic and form their own ideas, then share their ideas with a peer. The Think-Pair-Share strategy encourages a high degree of student response, as opposed to a teacher asking a question and one student responds. All students will share their thinking with at least one other student, which will help increase student engagement in learning. (Simon, n.d)
What are the benefits to using Think-Pair-Share?
According to the Reading Rockets website, Think-Pair-Share has many benefits:
1. This strategy allows students to think individually about a concept or answer to a question.
2. It encourages students to increase their oral communication skills while sharing their ideas with others.
3. This strategy helps students focus their attention and engage them in understanding the reading material.
(http://www.readingrockets.org)
1. This strategy allows students to think individually about a concept or answer to a question.
2. It encourages students to increase their oral communication skills while sharing their ideas with others.
3. This strategy helps students focus their attention and engage them in understanding the reading material.
(http://www.readingrockets.org)
How do you use Think-Pair-Share?
The Think-Pair-Share strategy can be used for a wide variety of activities, including discussion questions, reading, brainstorming, quiz review, as well as informal assessments. This strategy can be used for a well planned lesson, as well as on the spot discussions. Teachers can walk around the room and listen to the conversations and gain valuable information on students understanding of the class material. This strategy can be used in every content area, as well as grade level. (Simon, n.d)
Here is how the strategy works according to Simon.
Here is how the strategy works according to Simon.
- Before introducing this strategy, the teacher should decide on the learning target of the lesson. Choose the text, or design the questions you will be using for the lesson.
- Explain the strategy and the purpose of it to your students. Explain to students that they will be thinking individually about the topic/question, then sharing their ideas with a partner to discuss the topic, finally, sharing ideas with the rest of the class.
- Model how this process will work. Use a student to demonstrate how the procedure will work, then clarify any questions that the students may have about using this technique.
- After students understand the expectations, monitor and support the students as they work through the process.
Here are two examples of how to use Think-Pair-Share in your classroom
Reading Content Area
Think-Pair-Share could be used very easily in the content area of reading. For example, if students are reading a novel, the teacher could use this strategy to prompt discussion and gather ideas such as the main idea of the story, conflict, resolution, etc. Each student would think about the question the teacher asks, then share their ideas with a peer, and finally bring the group back for class discussion. Every student would be accountable for expressing their own thoughts and participation in the class discussion.
Social Studies
Another example of how Think-Pair-Share can be used is when you introduce a new topic. For example, if the teacher is introducing the topic of WWII, they may use Think-Pair-Share as a way for students to share what they already know about the topic, or what questions they may still have. This strategy would work well with the K-W-L strategy. A student may be asked a questions such as: What factors lead to WWII? Where did WWII take place? What countries were involved in WWII? By allowing the students time to think alone, they can formulate their thoughts. Next, they can share and collaborate with a partner to gain more knowledge and finally participate in a whole class discussion.
Think-Pair-Share could be used very easily in the content area of reading. For example, if students are reading a novel, the teacher could use this strategy to prompt discussion and gather ideas such as the main idea of the story, conflict, resolution, etc. Each student would think about the question the teacher asks, then share their ideas with a peer, and finally bring the group back for class discussion. Every student would be accountable for expressing their own thoughts and participation in the class discussion.
Social Studies
Another example of how Think-Pair-Share can be used is when you introduce a new topic. For example, if the teacher is introducing the topic of WWII, they may use Think-Pair-Share as a way for students to share what they already know about the topic, or what questions they may still have. This strategy would work well with the K-W-L strategy. A student may be asked a questions such as: What factors lead to WWII? Where did WWII take place? What countries were involved in WWII? By allowing the students time to think alone, they can formulate their thoughts. Next, they can share and collaborate with a partner to gain more knowledge and finally participate in a whole class discussion.
Video demonstrations of how to use Think-Pair-Share
This video demonstrates how to use Think-Pair-Share in the classroom. Some teachers also call this strategy "Turn and Talk". The video shows a teacher working with elementary students and how she incorporates the use of Think Pair Share while reading a story. This teacher first asks the students to think about the question she has prompted them with. Next, she asks students to turn and talk to their partner and share their answers. Finally, when all students have had a chance to discuss their thoughts with a partner, then the teacher brings the whole group together and shares all of their ideas. The video points out that this strategy is great for those students who may be reluctant to share out loud, but by giving them extra time to think and talk with a partner, more students will be comfortable sharing their thoughts.
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This video discusses the simple, but valuable strategy of using Think Pair Share. He highlights how to use this strategy, but then goes on to discuss the benefits. He points out that students are held more accountable because this strategy makes all students participate by pairing up, rather than some students always answering the questions. This process is also important because it encourages more wait time, because of this students can develop their thoughts. |
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How does Think-Pair-Share help students with writing?
Think-Pair-Share can be used to develop students writing skills if the objective of the lesson is to share ideas with peers and then write about the topic. This strategy could be used to aid in many of the writing standards if the teacher designs the lesson to produced those results. One example of how to use Think-Pair-Share for writing is for standard 6.7.7.7. This standard says to conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate. If students were working on reading different text and/or researching information, they could then pair up and share their information and finally share with the class. If necessary, students could go back and research more "think", then repeat the process of "pair" share, until their project is complete.