Full Answer Section

• Strategies: Here are some strategies you can use to help your students develop the skill of encouraging everyone to participate:
  • Call on everyone to contribute: When you are leading a discussion or activity, make sure to call on everyone to participate, even if they are shy or quiet. You can do this by asking open-ended questions that allow for multiple answers, or by asking students to pair up and share their ideas with each other before sharing them with the whole group.
  • Praise students who participate: When students do participate, be sure to praise them for their contributions. This will help to encourage them to participate more often.
  • Make sure everyone’s ideas are heard and respected: When students share their ideas, make sure to listen attentively and respectfully. Do not interrupt or dismiss their ideas, even if you disagree with them.

Paraphrasing what others have said

• Explanation: Paraphrasing what others have said means restating their ideas in your own words. This can be done to clarify what someone has said, to show that you have been listening, or to build on someone else’s ideas.
• SEL domains: This skill is connected to the communication skills domain of social-emotional learning. Communication skills are the ability to express oneself clearly and effectively, and to listen attentively to others. They include skills such as speaking clearly, asking questions, and taking turns talking.
• Strategies: Here are some strategies you can use to help your students develop the skill of paraphrasing what others have said:
  • Model the skill: When you are talking to students, be sure to paraphrase what they have said. This will show them how to do it themselves.
  • Give students opportunities to practice: Give students opportunities to practice paraphrasing each other’s ideas. This can be done in small groups or in pairs.
  • Provide feedback: When students paraphrase, be sure to provide feedback on their accuracy and clarity. This will help them to improve their skills over time.

Seeking elaboration

• Explanation: Seeking elaboration means asking for more information about someone’s ideas. This can be done by asking questions such as “Can you tell me more about that?” or “How did you come up with that idea?”
• SEL domains: This skill is connected to the critical thinking skills domain of social-emotional learning. Critical thinking skills are the ability to think clearly and rationally, and to evaluate information and ideas. They include skills such as asking questions, identifying assumptions, and drawing conclusions.
• Strategies: Here are some strategies you can use to help your students develop the skill of seeking elaboration:
  • Model the skill: When you are talking to students, be sure to ask for elaboration on their ideas. This will show them how to do it themselves.
  • Give students opportunities to practice: Give students opportunities to practice asking for elaboration from each other. This can be done in small groups or in pairs.
  • Provide feedback: When students ask for elaboration, be sure to provide feedback on their questions. This will help them to improve their skills over time.

Asking for justification for ideas

• Explanation: Asking for justification for ideas means asking someone to explain why they believe something. This can be done by asking questions such as “Why do you think that?” or “Can you give me a reason for that?”
• SEL domains: This skill is connected to the critical thinking skills domain of social-emotional learning. Critical thinking skills are the ability to think clearly and rationally, and to evaluate information and ideas. They include skills such as asking questions, identifying assumptions, and drawing conclusions.
• Strategies: Here are some strategies you can use to help your students develop the skill of asking for justification for ideas:
  • Model the skill: When you are talking to students, be sure to ask for justification for your own ideas. This will show them how to do it themselves.