Daily Assignment #38: Paired Verbal Fluency

This is a great strategy for getting students verbally active about a topic they are about to study, or one that they are currently studying, or a way to summarize a lesson. It also stimulates thinking and helps students recall knowledge.

It is also another way to use Learning Partners, (see Daily Assignment #12:  Learning Partners).

It is best to give the directions one step at a time.
For example:

1. "You will be working with a Learning Partner for this activity."
2. Assign topic e.g, respiratory system, reasons for the civil war, summary of homework assignment
3. "Make eye contact with your 3:00 partner.  Now go to them."
4. "Decide who will be A and who will be B."
5. "All "A's" raise your hand.  All B's raise your hand."
6. "When I say GO, "A's will talk for 60 seconds.  While "A's" are talking, "B's" must practice good listening skills.  At the end of 60 seconds I will say switch.  "B's" will talk, but cannot repeat anything "A's" have already said, and "A's" will listen."
7. "GO!"  (Wait 60 seconds.)
8. "SWITCH"  (Wait 60 seconds.)
9. "STOP"
10. "During this next round we will do the same procedure, only it will be for 30 seconds each. This is your opportunity to add anything that was left out of the first round."
11. "GO!" (Wait 30 seconds.)
12. "SWITCH"  (Wait 30 seconds.)
13. "STOP"
14. "This last round is for you to summarize what you heard your partner say.  You will have 20 seconds each."
15. "GO!" (Wait 20 seconds)
16. "SWITCH"  (Wait 20 seconds)
17. "STOP"
18. "Thank your partner and return to your seats."

When students return to their seats the teacher could do a whole class summary or have the students write their own summaries.

I hope you will experiment with this strategy.  It is very effective.  Let us know how it goes.

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Best Effort,

Linda103

It is important for students to know that they are not to speak until it is their turn.

This description is of 3 rounds.  Some teachers do 4 rounds, using 60, 45, 30, 15 second intervals.