Strategy of the Week #9: Increasing student interaction using Inside-Outside Circle

From Your Instructional Coach….

Strategy of the Week #9: Increasing student interaction using Inside-Outside Circle

Student Interaction:  a practice that enhances the development of the two very important language skills which are speaking and listening among the learners. This device helps the learner to be competent enough to think critically and share their views among their peers.

What is Inside-Outside circle?

• Inside-Outside Circle (Kagan, 1994) is a technique that gets students up and moving.  It provides a way to get students who normally would not talk to interact with others.  After students read a section of text, the teacher divides the group.  Half of the students stand up and form a circle with their backs to the inside of the circle.  They are partner A.  The other half of the students form a circle facing a partner from the first circle.  These students are partner B.  Partner A will speak first, quickly summarizing what they read.  This takes about a minute.  Then partner B speaks for the same length of time, adding to the summary.  If the teacher stands in the center of the circle, he/she can easily monitor student responses.

Why is student interaction important?

• Deeper Understanding of text:  When teachers structure good questions that promote discussion, the Inside-Outside circle provides multiple opportunities for students to summarize, predict or share opinions about something they have read.
• Oral language development:  Children will hear language above their independent speaking level, and be interacting with spoken language.
• Brain stimulation:  Engaging activities that are interesting to the students , including discussions, stimulate the pleasure parts of the brain.
• Reduced risk:  Students may feel threatened when called on in a large group to singularly answer a question.  This threat response inhibits the ability to focus on the content.  During an Inside-Outside circle, students have multiple opportunities to share ideas and risk is minimized.
• More processing time:  More information is retained when a period of direct instruction happens, followed by discussion of the material.

When could I use an Inside-Outside circle?

• The Inside-Outside circle is great when you would like students to compare and contrast, or identify similarities and differences.  For example, in math when there are multiple representations to show a number (a set of cubes, a numeric symbol, the name or word), students could each have a card showing the number and compare with each partner in the circle to determine if the amount, symbol or word is the same as their partner.
• The Inside-Outside circle could be used to orally share a piece of writing with peers.
• The Inside-Outside circle could be used to justify the way a student solved a problem.
• The Inside-Outside circle could be used during a morning meeting to share a time that someone was a friend, or a time when a child’s feelings were hurt.

If you would like to brainstorm how you could incorporate the Inside-Outside Circle into a lesson, please fill out the form below.   I would love to support you!

Partnership Interest Form