The Interaction component of the SIOP Model has the following components:
- Frequent opportunities for interactions and/or discussion between teacher/student and among students that encourage elaborated responses about lesson concepts
- Grouping configurations support language and content objectives of the lesson
- Sufficient wait time for student response
- Ample opportunities for students to clarify key concepts in L1 as needed with aide, peer, or L1 text
Sources:
Echevarria, J., Vogt, M.E., & Short, D. (2000). Making content comprehensiblefor English language learners: The SIOP model. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Using the SIOP Model. © 2002. Center for Applied Linguistics.
Spencer Kagan's cooperative learning structures are a quick way to introduce more pair and small group activities into your lessons. Many of his structures can be used across grade levels and content areas. The resource center has a number of Kagan books available for checkout.
The following are some easy-to-use Kagan structures:
| Think-pair-share |
Teacher poses a question or issue, allows time for students to think. Students share ideas with a partner. |
| Think-pair-square |
Teacher poses a question or issue, allows time for students to think. Students share ideas with a partner, then with the other members of their small group. |
| Inside-outside circle |
Students form two concentric circles. They interview or quiz each other using flash cards or questions provided by the teacher, then one circle rotates so that students change partners. |
| Mix-freeze-pair |
Students mingle, conversing on an assigned topic. The teacher calls "Freeze" and students pair up with the person they are talking to in order to quiz or interview each other. |
| Numbered heads together |
Students work in small groups and have numbered off. The teacher poses a question or problem, and all students work on it, with group members conferring. The teacher then calls a number, and all students with that number are ready to respond. |
| Roundtable |
The teacher asks a question with multiple correct responses. Students in small groups pass paper around, with each student providing one response. |
| Send a problem |
Students working in small groups prepare a problem or question, then send it to another group for them to answer or solve. |
| One stray, three stay |
One group member acts as a reporter and visits another group to observe what they are doing and then report back to the home group. |
| Three stray, one stay |
Three group members rotate to another group, while the fourth group member remains behind to describe their project to the three visiting students. |
| Value lines |
The teacher introduces an issue, and students arrange themselves in a line according to their beliefs regarding the issue (strongly agree on one end; strongly disagree on the other end). The teacher can have the students fold the line and talk to a partner about their beliefs. |