Say+Something

**Your Name:** Jessica Markham


 * Strategy name**: Say Something, also called Conversation Sparks


 * Student appropriate grade levels**: 5, 6, 7, 8


 * Tags**: during reading, after reading, reading comprehension strategy, say something, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, conversation sparks, language arts, reading, science, math, social studies, general, ESL, high achievers, low achievers, LD


 * Content areas**: language arts, reading, science, math, social studies


 * Type of Strategy**: during reading, after reading


 * Types of Students:** general, ESL, high achievers, low achievers, LD


 * Strategy Description:** Say Something is a reading strategy that jumpstarts comprehension while helping students remain focused on their reading. It aids students in moving beyond surface level reading because they learn to articulate questions and comments, which requires them to be actively engaged with a text. Comments students make are referred to as “conversation sparks”. During and after the reading of a text students are given time to make a variety of conversation sparks, that vary from predictions, questions, clarifications, connections, and inferences. The strategy allows students time to think about the text and their thinking at the same time. Conversation sparks can be jotted down on post-it notes before talking with a partner or the whole class. A few examples of conversation sparks are as follows: text-to-self connection, text-to-text connection, text-to-world connection, advice for the character, clarifying what the author means, it reminds me of…, light-bulb moment, a quote I like is…, possible emerging big ideas.


 * Strategy implementation example**: I would use this strategy in a reading/language arts class. If the class was currently reading, //The Giver,// I would first assign the students partners by having each student work with the person to their left. Each pair has the option of deciding to read silently or aloud. I would tell the students that they are to read the first three pages of chapter three. When they finish that selection, they are to stop to say something to their partner about what they have just read. Each person has to say something related to what the selection meant to them, how it does/does not relate, what predictions they have, or anything from a poster I have hanging in the classroom with all the different types of sparks. The partners are then to read three more pages and again say something to each other before continuing through the text. The process continues until the chapter is finished. Afterwards, we will have a whole class discussion on the types of conversations sparks students made. This strategy provides the students with a focused opportunity to question, predict, infer, clarify, and connect with a chapter of //The Giver.//