How to Minimize Excessive Talking in the Classroom During Independent Reading & Writing
Excessive talking in the classroom is probably one of the most common challenges literacy teachers have when it comes to reading and writing workshop or conferring with students. I totally get, teacher friend! How in the world are you suppose to meet with students in conferences and small groups when there's so much talking going on during independent work time? Sound familiar.
I mean you have every intention to meet with students during conferring time. You've collected student evidence, analyzed the data, know exactly what skills and strategies your students need. And let me guess? You've created a weekly conferring schedule to include a variety of individual conferences, small group instruction, partnerships or clubs.
And yet…
The excessive talking in the classroom gets in the way.
So how can we minimize and even stop excessive talking in class? Especially during independent reading and writing time.
Well, I've got 7 tips that will help you minimize excessive talking during your precious conferring time. Here we go!
Tip 1: Give your students the 'WHY' behind independent reading and writing time.
Have you ever had a student ask: “Why do we have to read or write by ourselves for so long?” Well, that is a great question. Giving your students the ‘WHY' behind independent reading and writing can also help them to stay focused and productive. Usually when people have a purpose or a really good reason to do something; they are more likely to do it. So let's give our students a purpose for independent work time. Here's my quick definition of independent work time that I like to share with students.
“Independent work time is your vehicle to grow as a reader or writer a lot faster. I can teach you the skills and strategies all day long. But if you don't have any time that to practice these strategies on your own; how will you grow? During independent work time you'll read or write, practice the strategies, and set your own goals to become a stronger reader or writer. And once you've learn these skills and can do strategies independently; that's when huge growth can happen.”
How do you define independent reading and writing to your students? Comment down below. I would love to hear it.
Tip 2: Share important roles your students have during independent work time.
Once your students know the ‘WHY' behind independent work time, now it's time for them to learn the roles they play in all this. It wouldn't hurt to also share your roles as their teacher too. Here are the TOP 8 roles your students play during independent reading and writing time:
- Read, read, read
- Write, write, write
- Participate in assessment
- Set their own goals
- Reflect on goals
- Receive coaching for you
- Act on your feedback
- Monitor their own progress
Tip 3: Teach your students when it's okay to talk and when it's NOT okay to talk during conferring time.
You could start off the minilesson off with something like this:
“I'm so excited to teach you that smart learners are productive during independent work time and stop any excessive talking.
Because when we are talking too much, it makes it harder to read, write, and practice strategies during independent work time. We are not being productive learners and it's going to take us a whole lot longer to reach our goals. So how can you stop excessive talking? First you have to know when it's a good time to talk and when it's time to be silent during reading and writing workshop.”
You could even create an anchor chart together as a class. Display different options where students might want to talk. Have the class share if they can TALK or need to be SILENT. For example, if the option is “Partner Time” then they would say yes we can TALK.
Tip 4: Explain the difference between reading talk, writing talk, and distraction talk.
Again, you can start the minilesson off with something like this:
“Now I've been hearing some really good reading talk like this… [Insert in some positive compliments about your students] And some good writing talk like this… [Again insert a positive compliment] but I've also been hearing a whole lot of distraction talk like this… So let's talk about the difference between the three so you know when it's okay to use it.”
Create an anchor chart together with your class. Display an example of reading talk, writing talk, or distraction talk and have the class share which column it should go in on the anchor chart. For example, if the option is “Can you help me spell a word?” then they would say… WRITING TALK.
Tip 5: Use visuals and signals to remind your students of routines and expectations for talking.
Here is a list of the most important visuals or signals you can use to remind your students of routines and expectations for talking:
- If you use reading and writing workshop; you'll definitely want a workshop pie chart hanging up in your classroom.
- Poster to remind students whose turn it is to talk during a mini lesson.
- Poster for teacher and student roles during conferring time.
- Interactive Anchor chart to display when it's okay to talk and when it's NOT okay to talk during independent reading or writing time.
- Strategy cards for your students that they can take back with them to independent work time so they don't forget talk expectations.
- Interactive Anchor Chart to display the difference between Reading Talk, Writing Talk, and Distraction Talk.
Need more resources, lesson plans, and strategies for minimizing excessive talking in class?
With this Excessive Talking in the Classroom BUNDLE, you'll finally stop asking: “How do I get the class to stop talking?' and meet with more students during individual conferences and small group instruction.
Tip 6: Demonstrate, practice, reflect, set goals on independent work time.
It's time for some practice, practice, practice. First demonstrate how independent work time is going to go. Give them a good model and if you want, you can even show them what independent work time SHOULD NOT BE. You can show them a video of another class doing independent reading or writing.
One place that I love to find videos of mini lessons, individual conferences, small groups are is the Teachers College Reading & Writing Project Video Collection. They have tons and tons of free videos that you can watch of real life reading and writing instruction going on in real schools.
Another option is you, their teacher, could model it. Or you can pick a few students in your class to help you demonstrate what it should look like, feel like, and sound like.
Next, have your class actually do independent work time and see how it goes. When it's all over, take some a time to reflect as class on how it went. You can display a 3-column chart to support your students in reflection and goal setting. There could be a column that says ‘FABULOUS', another column that says ‘JUST OKAY', and the last column could say ‘DO BETTER'.
Tip 7: Keep filling your toolbox of strategies for minimizing excessive talking throughout the year.
There are many ways you can fill your toolbox of strategies for excessive talking in the classroom. Here's a few to get you started.
1. If you have a literacy coach or instructional coach in your building; reach out to them to let them know you would like support in finding more strategies.
2. Follow on Facebook or Instagram for more tips on how they minimize excessive talking in their classroom.
3. Grab the Free Conferring with Readers and Writers Guide and Join our next Live Coaching Week.
Have an awesome year, teacher friend!!!
Let's Dream Big and Grow Together!
