Turn and Talk

Rehearse Ideas and Boost Participation Ratio [FREE CHECKLIST]

Author

Jamie Clark
May 23, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

👋 G’day there!

In this edition of ⚗️DistillED, we’re exploring Turn and Talk—a simple (and epic) strategy to get all students thinking, talking, and tuning in.

What is Turn and Talk?

Turn and Talk is a paired discussion strategy where all students speak briefly with a partner in response to a teacher’s prompt. It is a purposeful and short routine that allows every student to rehearse thinking aloud, explain their reasoning, and hear another perspective.

The strategy is championed by Doug Lemov in Teach Like a Champion, where he describes its power to increase classroom participation ratios:

“A Turn and Talk by itself is a great tool for boosting Participation Ratio… It multiplies voices and gets everyone going by giving them a low-stakes way to share ideas, rehearse larger thought, develop their first impression, or hear an alternative reaction, all in semi-private.”

Doug Lemov

Not only does Turn and Talk boost participation, it tunes students into core learning and helps them to retrieve and generate ideas in a low-stakes setting before engaging in a whole-class discussion or written task.

In the video below, super-teacher Pritesh Raichura demonstrates how this routine works in combination with other explicit teaching strategies like cold calling and checking for understanding.

Notice how sharp the routine is—and the burst of energy it generates across the room. Pritesh says he uses this technique 20 or more times in any given 50-minute lesson!

Why is Turn and Talk an effective strategy?

Turn and Talk creates space for students to make sense of new material aloud—an act that taps into the realm of generative learning. Students are not just retrieving what they know and sharing answers—but explaining their thinking and connecting it to prior knowledge.

The ability to summarise and explain aligns with Fiorella and Mayer’s work which explores how learners actively construct meaning and deepen understanding:

“The learner is not a passive recipient of information but an active sense-maker who seeks to organise and integrate information in ways that promote understanding.”

When students explain, they select prior knowledge, begin to organise it coherently, and integrate new ideas into their existing schema. With timely feedback loops, this process strengthens both depth of understanding and fluency of expression.

So, how is Turn and Talk executed? Let’s find out…

How do I implement Turn and Talk effectively?

Doug Lemov, in Teach Like a Champion, emphasises the importance of establishing clear routines for Turn and Talk. Students need to know exactly who they’re speaking to, how to listen actively, and what to do when the conversation ends. These behaviours should be explicitly taught, modelled, and practised until they become automatic.

The diagram below illustrates how Turn and Talk can be used after teacher input to help students rehearse and consolidate new learning before moving to independent work.

Turn and Talk rehearsal process inspired by Pritesh Raichura

In his blog, Pritesh Raichura explains some common pitfalls to avoid:

AVOID…

  1. Using it for one word answers

  2. Undirected paired talk

  3. Stopping it too soon or too late

  4. Accepting poor answers

  5. Allowing a student to dominate

INSTEAD, TRY…

  1. Using a choral response

  2. Specifying who talks first

  3. Timing it right (think Goldilocks)

  4. Insist on full sentence answers

  5. Use timer or call next speaker

Here’s a clear breakdown of the Turn and Talk strategy in seven practical steps:

Step

Instruction

Example

Set Roles or Order

Ensure every student knows who their designated partner is and (e.g. ‘Shoulder Partner’) and the means of participation.

“Partner A goes first.”

“Door side partners first—go!” 

“Window side first—tell your partner.”

Pose a Question

Ask an open question that requires a full sentence response or a short explanation.

“How does photosynthesis help plants grow?”

“Why does Lady Macbeth call on the spirits to ‘unsex’ her?”

Give Thinking Time

Provide adequate thinking time before students engage in paired talk.

“Take some time to think about your answer—and jot down a quick idea if it helps.”

Prime and Set Timing

Give students a short, focused time window (10–20 seconds) to share their answers with each other and prompt them to focus on specific ideas.

“OK… You have 20 seconds to share. Strive to use key words like soliloquy and ambition… I’ll write these on the board so you remember…”

Crest of the Wave
(A great term coined by Doug Lemov)

End the Turn and Talk while discussion is still lively—”at the crest of the wave”. Narrate remaining time.

“You have 5 seconds left… 4, 3, 2 and 1.”

Cue for Attention

Use a familiar cue to end the talk and regain attention.

“[Teacher] ‘1, 2…’”, “[Students] ‘Eyes on you!’”

Check Answers

Cold call and invite answers from students to hold students accountable for listening.

“Jasmine, I’d love to hear your thoughts…”

“Sam, can you summarise Imran’s points?”

Where can I find out more?

The Turn and Talk Checklist
Grab a PDF copy of my exclusive A4 Turn and Talk Checklist, outlining the key areas to maximise success when embedding this effective routine.

The Turn and Talk Checklist.pdf2.24 MB • PDF File

Until next time — stay curious, stay clear!

Jamie

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