Instructional Conversation

Teaching children through dialog. The two main features of an Instructional Conversation are identified in the name: Instructional & Conversational.


Stone Soup


Campus Children’s Center
Age of Students: 3-5 years

The teacher reads a picture book with a small group of children and engages them in a discussion with a clear learning goal. The teacher assesses and assists children in order to further their understanding of various aspects of the story.


Puzzle Pieces


Head Start Inclusion Program
Age of Students: 3-5 years

The teacher has a discussion with a small group of children while they complete a puzzle. To assess their understanding, the teacher questions children about their rationale as they decide where and how to place pieces in the puzzle.


Peanut Butter and Jelly

Hawai‘i Private School
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Kamehameha Early Education Program Archive Video

The teacher and students discuss the steps involved in making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while they work together to make that joint product. Students then recount the process as their teacher writes down the story.


Grandmothers

Hawai‘i Private School
Grade Level: 4
Kamehameha Early Education Program Archive Video

While reading a story together, the teacher asks students to make personal connections to the story as they discuss their experiences with their own grandmothers.