Invite students to pair up in the following ways:
Unpack/
Metacognition
Explain thinking on the idea or how they arrived at the answer. / Tell/Spin Off
State an idea, the second student connects that idea to another and discusses the connection. / RallyTable
Take turns writing or performing a task. / Read/Reread
Take turns reading the same passage to each other.
Free Pair
Use any process or order one wishes to complete a task with a partner. / Devil’s Advocate
Each partner supports a point of view contrary to their own position, or contrary to the partner’s position. / Interview
Ask each other personal questions, questions within a role, or questions relating to content. / Read/Brush Up
Take turns reading, improving with feedback, and rereading the same passage to each other.
Tell/Repeat
Tell the other partner the target information, then the second student repeats the information back to the first student. / Defend
Support a point of view by citing examples and giving rationale. / Teach
Pair up so that each student may share an area of expertise with the other student. / RallyRead
Read a passage, the other picks up where the first student left off.
Paraphrase
Tell the other partner the target information; the second partner restates the information in other words. / Partner Share
Prepare to share each other’s ideas or examples with a larger group. / Consensus
Work together to reach consensus before sharing with the group. / Read/Dig
Take turns reading “between the lines” of the same passage.
Tell/Add On
Start a story or a discussion, the other partner adds more information. / RallyRobin
Take turns speaking. / Take Roles
Divide the labor for the task at hand. (One could write while the other reads.) / Act
Act out responses.
Adapted from: Lyman, F. (2003). Think-Pair-Share. Smartcard: Teacher Toolbox. San Clemente, CA: Kagan.