By talking to learn, students who engage in successful classroom discussions can better express ideas, raise questions, develop keen listening skills, and expand on challenging subject matter.

The grades 2-3 Discussion Builders poster and teaching guide are designed to cultivate a respectful community of learners where the goal is to develop shared understandings. Sentence stems on the poster provide students with a scaffold for voicing their ideas and questions, valuing others’ contributions, and thinking creatively.

The poster is a powerful tool for helping students–specifically Spanish speakers–present, expand, and reason about important ideas. A teaching guide includes tasks and blackline masters for introducing and sustaining the use of Discussion Builders in any subject area.

This poster is one in a set of three: K-1, 2-3, and 4-8. As a set, the Discussion Builders posters and teaching guides scaffold progressively more sophisticated language and reasoning across the grades.

Participate in our one-day Discussion Builders Workshop, which will further enhance your ability to lead effective discussions that boost collaborative and respectful critical thinking among your students.