George Lucas Educational Foundation
Edutopia

Communication Skills

Prepare students for academic and life success by helping them develop their listening, speaking, writing, and digital media skills.

  • 60-Second Strategy: Traverse Talk

    This fun classroom activity helps students find their voice by teaching the basics of debate in an accessible way.

  • What Productive Talk Looks Like in the Elementary Grades

    Using sentence stems to scaffold classroom discussions guides students to speak, actively listen, and build on each others’ ideas.
    Susan O’Brien

  • Building Perspective Through Meaningful Discussion

    When they don’t shy away from talking about tough topics, students and teachers gain a deeper understanding of important issues—and each other.

  • The Power of Short Writing Assignments

    Brief writing prompts and responses help students in any discipline.
    Benjamin Barbour

  • How Learning Happens

    In this video series, we explore how educators can guide all students, regardless of their developmental starting points, to become productive and engaged learners.
    1. 1. Bringing the Science of Learning Into Classrooms
    2. 2. The Science of Learning and Development
    3. 3. Getting Started With Trauma-Informed Practices
    SEE ALL

  • 60-Second Strategy: Participation Cards

    A quick formative assessment tool also encourages all students—even shy ones—to participate in discussions.

  • Scaffolding Discussion Skills With a Socratic Circle

    Students deepen their understanding and build a sense of community by engaging with their peers’ reasoned arguments.

  • Morning Meetings: Building Community in the Classroom

    Starting the day with this 15-minute activity helps students regulate their emotions and focus on the day’s learning.

  • 60-Second Strategy: Equity Sticks

    Looking for a simple way to ensure all voices are heard in your classroom? Try equity sticks.

  • Driving Deep Reading Comprehension in K–5

    This five-phase reading strategy exposes every student to challenging texts—and has dramatically improved reading comprehension at a school in the Bronx.
    Emelina Minero

  • Encouraging Academic Conversations With Talk Moves

    Sentence starters that students use to join a class discussion encourage both academic thinking and social connectedness.

  • 60-Second Strategy: 7-Minute Writes

    Looking for a simple way to get your students writing? Try a low-stakes timed exercise.

  • 6 Hand Signals That Bring Learning to Life

    Nonverbals are gestural cues that can help students quickly and respectfully communicate their reactions, needs, and levels of understanding in a fast-paced classroom.
    Ellie Cowen

  • Teaching Communication Skills

    A framework for exploring with students what good communication looks like and for helping them develop the necessary skills.
    Alice Stott

  • Talking Politics: Valuing Different Perspectives

    Students learn how to share and listen to opposing beliefs with empathy.