Pritesh Raichura explains how to use I say, you say and choral response to hold your learners’ attention and boost participation in lessons
There are two common problems we face in lessons: seeing our learners’ attention wander and finding tumbleweed bouncing across the room as they react with listless lethargy to a carefully planned question.
If you are looking for two easy-to-introduce techniques that can boost attention and inject energy into the room, then I say, you say and choral response are your two new best friends.
I say, you say
I say, you say is simple concept where the entire class repeats a key word or phrase in unison. Teacher: ‘I say, you say: alkali.’ Class: ‘Alkali.’ Pointing to yourself when you say the word and pointing to the class straight after helps to cue the class to respond in crisp togetherness. I tend to use this whenever I introduce a new term or to stamp the key words in an explanation.
Why is this technique so powerful? There are three key benefits: participation, pronunciation and pace. I say, you say is an easy way to set up opportunities for 100% participation. All learners can listen and repeat a word. It attracts the attention of the daydreamers and allows learners to practise pronouncing a word they might otherwise have few opportunities to verbalise; particularly benefitting learners for whom English is an additional language. Finally, because you can seamlessly integrate the technique into an explanation, mid-flow, it can feel like the explanation you are delivering is pacier.
Choral response
In choral response, the teacher poses a question which has a one-word (or short phrase) answer and uses the cue: ‘On three … one, two, three.’ to which the whole class responds in unison.
Teacher: ‘Alkalis have a pH of greater than seven. What substances have a pH of greater than seven? On three … one, two, three.’
Class: ‘Alkalis.’
Teacher: ‘And do alkalis have a pH that is greater than or less than seven? On three … one, two, three.’
Class: ‘Greater than.’
Teacher: ’Yes. So, alkalis have a pH greater than what? On three … one, two, three.’
Class: ‘Seven.’
As with I say, you say, choral response significantly increases participation compared to picking out just one learner. However, choral response questions demand more attention as they go beyond repeating the last word learners hear. What is most remarkable about rapid choral response questioning is how much it increases the lesson’s pace by injecting lots of energy. This is especially true if you do not wait for hands to go up.
Generating questions for choral response is simple: frame the fact you have just stated as a question then flip the question. The fact ‘acids turn litmus paper red’ becomes the question, ‘What turns litmus paper red?’, ‘Which colour does litmus paper change to when an acid is present?’ and even, ‘What type of paper turns red in acid?’.
Limitations to watch out for
Neither technique offers much in the way of accountability for non-participants. This is why it is important to use a variety of questioning strategies, such as all hands up cold calling and turn and talk. Though the class’s volume might convey the level of their confidence, choral response and I say, you say are not true checks for understanding.
Neither technique offers much in the way of accountability for non-participants. This is why it is important to use a variety of questioning strategies, which you’ll find in another article of mine on all hands up cold calling and turn and talk (rsc.li/4qe8PyY). Though the class’s volume might convey the level of their confidence, choral response and I say, you say are not true checks for understanding.
If lots of learners answer a choral response question incorrectly, I would re-teach the fact quickly and try again. If only a small number of learners go wrong, I might pose the question as a turn and talk: ‘Why is acid the wrong answer? Tell your partner.’ This serves to both give feedback and untangle why the wrong answer is indeed wrong. The real litmus test of these techniques? You will have warmed up your learners for the trickier questions you’ve meticulously planned, boosting participation and attention in other parts of your lesson.
Pritesh Raichura
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