Communication Skills

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

Communication Skills
Teaching Communication Skills
A framework for exploring with students what good communication looks like and for helping them develop the necessary skills.
Communication Skills
Teaching Students to Disagree Productively
Teachers can scaffold discussions from the early grades on in ways that show students how to respectfully share dissenting opinions.
Teaching Strategies
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.
Communication Skills
Scaffolding Discussion Skills With a Socratic Circle
Students deepen their understanding and build a sense of community by engaging with their peers’ reasoned arguments.
Communication Skills
Encouraging Academic Conversations With Talk Moves
Sentence starters that students use to join a class discussion encourage both academic thinking and social connectedness.
Classroom Management
60-Second Strategy: Equity Sticks
Looking for a simple way to ensure all voices are heard in your classroom? Try equity sticks.
Social and Emotional Learning
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.
Literacy
60-Second Strategy: 7-Minute Writes
Looking for a simple way to get your students writing? Try a low-stakes timed exercise.
Communication Skills
A Strategy for Effective Student Collaboration
A well-known protocol can help student teams reflect intentionally on their work—a necessity for improvement and learning.
Critical Thinking
Talking Politics: Valuing Different Perspectives
Students learn how to share and listen to opposing beliefs with empathy.
Formative Assessment
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.
Communication Skills
More Talking in Class, Please
Strategies for facilitating small group and whole class conversations with students in grades 3 to 12.
Trading Places
Birmingham Covington: Building a Student-Centered School
Educators take on the role of guides and motivate students to direct their own learning.
Communication Skills
60-Second Strategy: Fishbowl Discussion
A discussion technique based on peer feedback helps students delve into complex texts and develop communication skills.
Communication Skills
60-Second Strategy: Discussion Mapping
Following discussions with a quick reflection exercise helps students sharpen their speaking and listening skills.