Student-Led Discussions

Do you want your students to take ownership of and become more independent during reading discussions? Are you looking to enhance your teaching of higher-order thinking and 21st century skills? Do you want to ensure that all students develop strong speaking and listening skills? In Student-Led Discussions, author Sandi Novak offers you the resources you need to develop meaningful student-led conversations about text and media across the content areas. In addition to providing a discussion framework that requires students to think deeply and communicate effectively, she includes advice for how to

* Introduce and cultivate student-led discussions about literary and informational material at any grade.

* Establish core instructional elements that students need to engage in rich discussions about content.

* Recognize and evaluate effective student-led discussions.

* Understand your role as the teacher when students are leading their own discussions.

The skills that students acquire through discussions that they themselves facilitate--speaking and listening abilities, reading comprehension, and competency with text-based questions among them--align with established state and national standards and are necessary for all students to succeed in school and life.