Using Discussion and Writing to Help Students Make Meaning of Text

Research suggests that discussion and writing can play an important role in helping students make meaning from text. When woven into comprehension-focused instruction, these practices can provide opportunities for students to clarify ideas and deepen their understanding of what they read.

Start with Talk

Discussion gives students a chance to use academic language, explain ideas, make connections, and learn from each other's thinking—and all of this contributes to comprehension.

In a meta-analysis of classroom discussion approaches, researchers found that several structured approaches to discussion increased student participation and improved text comprehension (Murphy et al., 2009).

Three discussion approaches that kept students’ attention on understanding and interpreting text were particularly effective for supporting comprehension. They offer useful models for structuring text-based conversations in the classroom.

1. Questioning the Author

This approach encourages students to view a text as the work of an author whose ideas they need to figure out. As students read, the teacher pauses at key points to pose open-ended questions that help them clarify and connect ideas (Beck et al., 1997).

For example:

• What do you think the author is trying to tell us here?
• Did the author explain this clearly, or is something still confusing?
• Why do you think the author shares this information now?

2. Instructional Conversations

In this approach, the teacher guides discussion around a central theme, drawing on students' background knowledge and experiences and inviting them to explain and support their ideas (Goldenberg, 1991).

Sample prompts could include:

• Tell me more about that.
• What in the text makes you think that?
• Do you agree with the view that __________? Why or why not?

3. Shared Inquiry

In this approach, students wrestle with questions that have more than one possible answer. They explore different perspectives, find evidence in the text, and consider how others’ interpretations might affect their own (Great Books Foundation, 2014).

Sample questions could include:

• Why do you think [character] chose to [action]?
• What evidence in the text supports your thinking?
• What might someone who disagrees with you point to in the text?

Although these approaches differ in structure, they all require students to actively construct meaning, support ideas with evidence, and engage with the thinking of others. In all three approaches, teachers guide student thinking and discussion and keep “teacher talking time” to a minimum.

These examples illustrate the kinds of questions teachers might draw upon. They are not protocols for implementing the research-based approaches.

Then Put It in Writing

Discussion can help students develop and clarify their ideas before writing. Writing about reading gives them another opportunity to organize and connect ideas and deepen their understanding of text.

Research points to several effective writing activities, including summarizing, note-taking, answering or generating questions, and extended responses that analyze or interpret a text. Researchers suggest starting small. For example, teachers can teach one strategy explicitly, such as summarizing after reading a text, and then check to see if this supported comprehension. From there, additional extended writing activities can be taught (Graham & Hebert, 2011).

What to Aim for in the Classroom

• During discussion, students do most of the talking as they explain, question, and build on ideas.
• Discussion is anchored in the text.
• Students engage in brief, regular writing about that helps them summarize, connect ideas, or interpret a text.
• Teachers use students’ oral and written responses to identify misunderstandings and guide further instruction.

When students regularly discuss and write about what they read, they have more opportunities to build the language, reasoning, and understanding that support strong comprehension.