Pair-Share

One of the most well-known collaborative learning strategies is "Pair-Share." Teachers like this strategy because it is easy to facilitate and it does not require classroom choreography. Students can move in and out of pair-share groups in seconds. While in pairs, students should brainstorm ideas, review vocabulary, summarize ideas in a text, make connections, process new ideas, and do all sorts of other intellectual work. When used strategically, "Pair-Share" can enhance instruction, bringing energy to the classroom.

Research suggests that students need time to process new information every seven to ten minutes. This strategy allows students to share ideas and work through difficult material in a safe learning environment. The "Pair-Share" strategy is a great way to get students interacting with course material. It engages more students in the learning and gives them time to process the information. It takes only seconds to turn and face a neighbor. "Pair-Share" can be used in all content areas. When students are given a purpose for speaking, they experience higher levels of success and engagement.

Take a few minutes to explore the different features on this page. The "Literacy TA Process" and "School-wide" sections provide important details about how to teach the strategy. Once you are familiar with the content, think about how you might use the different elements provided on this page to enhance the teaching of this strategy.

Assessing the Skill

When assessing students' knowledge of "Pair-Share," teachers could...

• walk around the room and listen to what students are saying, paying attention to how they are seated and engaged in the work.
• ask students to write a brief reflection at the end of class that explains how the "Pair-Share" strategy helped them learn.
• call on students to share what their partners said during the "Pair-Share."
• ask students to pair off and take a quiz, write an essay, or participate in a project in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy and to show students how collaborative work can improve the quality of a product. 
• use the strategy rubric below to assess the students' ability to share ideas with others. The rubric should be used at the end of class as a way to assess a number of pair-share interactions.

Assessing Content Knowledge

If we are going to invest time teaching speaking strategies, we should have some idea of how the strategy is improving students' comprehension of course concepts. When assessing students' knowledge of the content, teachers could...

• develop a short series of multiple choice questions that assess students' knowledge of the content. The questions should focus on the topics you asked students to discuss in pairs.
• craft short answer prompts that ask students to articulate--in writing--their knowledge of the content. Short answer prompts should also focus on the ideas you asked students to discuss in pairs.
• ask students to create an academic poster that accounts for the main ideas they discussed throughout the class period.
• ask students to take a quiz in pairs in order to evaluate the impact collaborative work has on student achievement.
• engage students in a formal conversation like a Socratic seminar, assessing students' knowledge through verbal performance.

Developing a Speaking Purpose

When teaching our students how to communicate academically, we should develop a speaking purpose. Since the "Pair-Share" strategy is typically used in the moment, and is done in a very short period of time, teachers do not have to set objectives, assign group roles, nor do they have to create a formal speaking purpose. Teachers should, however, set expectations for these short conversations and have an idea as to why they are asking students to talk. Teachers ask students to engage in the "Pair-Share" strategy for a variety of reasons. A few reasons are listed below.

• Learners need time to process new knowledge.
• Students need time to share ideas and listen to other students.
• Students need to practice speaking academically.
• Students can share ideas in a safe, comfortable environment.
• Student engagement and retention of new ideas increases when they are given time to talk.
• Complex ideas can be clarified through purposeful discussions.

There are a number of purposes for this strategy. The key to success, however, is setting the expectation and guiding students as they practice this skill.

Pacing and Supporting the Lesson

When teaching "Pair-Share," start off by asking students to speak for short periods of time. We recommend starting with 15 to 20 second conversations at a time. As students demonstrate more proficiency, teachers can increase the amount of time students talk. Below are a number of tips to help you pace and support this strategy.

• Students should be engaged in "Pair-Share" activities every 8-10 minutes.
• Provide a purpose for speaking either verbally or in writing.
• Explicitly state your expectations for this type of collaborative work.
• Set benchmarks for the discussion. You can say, "You have 30 seconds to discuss X."
• Set high expectations for the short conversations. All students should engage in this activity and they should share until you ask them to stop.
• Model the physical environment for students. Do you want them moving their desks or turning to a neighbor?
• Create opportunities for students to practice the strategy before assessing them.
• Walk around the classroom while students are sharing ideas and coach pairs when necessary.
• Give students ample time to learn and master this strategy.
• Check-in often. Assess what they know and what they still need to learn.

Learning the Skill

Here are a few ways to help introduce the "Pair-Share" strategy.

• Explicitly teach students how to pair-share and explain why this collaborative work is important.
• Establish a purpose for the short conversations and articulate that purpose to the students.
• Ask students to speak for short periods of time. Gradually increase the time on task as students demonstrate proficiency.
• Use a timer to hold students accountable for their time on task.
• Project the strategy rubric and go over your expectations.
• Use the "Strategy Slides" below to assign specific "Pair-Share" activities.
• Coach students along the way, giving them feedback and suggestions.
• Show students how to use this strategy without moving their desks.

Use the "Pair-Share" strategy during a reading or lecture. You could say...

• Turn to a neighbor and discuss X.
  
• Turn your torso and discuss the following question: _________
• Stand and find a partner. In your pairs, talk about...

Developing the Skill

As students develop their ability to speak in pairs, consider using the following strategies.

• Increase the amount of time students talk during each "Pair-Share."
• Teach students how to move in and out of pairs. Use the "Forming Groups" handout below.
• Have students spend a minute talking to one student, then ask them to switch partners and talk to another student about the same topic.
• Ask students to stand up and find a partner in the room. Asking them to stand and share increases the difficulty of the activity but gets them out of their chairs. Here are some "pairing" strategies.
  
  • Ask students to find their solemates-these are students wearing similar footwear.
  • Tell students to find their opposite. You can direct them to find their opposite color shirt, hair color, shoes, pants, etc.
  • Number students off and match odd with even.
  • Use an appointment calendar and have students make appointments with other students in the room.
  • Hand out playing cards and ask student to find their matches. For example, kings pair with kings and eights pair with eights.
  • Have students form two parallel lines. Students face one another while they share for one minute.
• Ask students to reflect on the "Pair-Share" strategy. How does it help them process and learn new information.

Mastering the Skill

Mastery of any skill takes time, lots of practice, and a solid understanding of the strategy. Consider applying some of the following approaches when developing students' mastery of "Pair-Share."

• Ask students to turn their desks and "Pair-Share" for five minutes. Students will need a clear purpose for these lengthier discussions.
• Ask students how they could use the skill in their other content classes.
• Increase the sophistication of the "Pair-Share" strategy by asking students to move in and out of pairs over a short period of time.

School Wide

In order to make a strategy transferable through a department and across a school, the name of the strategy must stay the same and it must be implemented and talked about in the same way. Although reading purposes may change from class to class, unit to unit, the work behind a strategy must be predictable and consistent for our students. When a set of effective literacy strategies are implemented throughout the school day, students gain a deep knowledge of how to use the strategy, when to use it, and most importantly, why to use it. The goal for school-wide literacy, therefore, is to develop students' mastery of a select set of strategies so that they can independently and strategically employ them in rigorous academic and professional environments.

English Description

"Pair-Share" is a great strategy to use when helping students process and explore new ideas. Here are some ways we can use this strategy in the English classroom.

Students could...

• turn and talk about a passage in a text.
• work together to analyze a poem.
• discuss how they have marked their texts.
• engage in a paired writing task.
• work together to analyze a prompt.
• review and rehearse reading strategies, course concepts, and essential ideas.
• spend a few minutes writing about an idea, then turn and talk about their ideas with a classmate.
• stand and find a partner, then discuss ideas in a novel, poem, or article.
• talk about words, concepts, and content vocabulary.

Math Description

"Pair-Share" is a great strategy to use when helping students process information, explore new ideas, and solve problems. Here are some ways we can use this strategy in the Math classroom.

Students could...

• turn and talk about a word problem or mathematical equation.
• work together to analyze a graph, chart, shapes, and angles.
• discuss how to mark a word problem.
• work together to preread a chapter or section in a textbook.
• review and rehearse formulas, equations, and effective problem solving strategies.
• spend a few minutes writing out the steps to solving an equation, then turn and talk about the steps with a classmate.
• stand and find a partner, then discuss what they have learned about a particular strategy or math problem.
• talk about words, concepts, and content vocabulary.

Science Description

"Pair-Share" is a great strategy to use when helping students process and explore new ideas. Here are some ways we can use this strategy in the Science classroom.

Students could...

• turn and talk about a theory, equation, or experiment.
• work together to analyze graphs, charts, images, or diagrams.
• discuss how to mark a word problem.
• write a lab report together.
• work together to revise a lab write-up.
• preread a chapter or section in a textbook and talk about their predictions.
• review and rehearse formulas, name parts of a whole, or discuss a process.
• spend a few minutes writing out the steps to solving an equation, then turn and talk about the steps with a classmate.
• stand and find a partner, then discuss what they have learned about a particular system or process.
• talk about words, concepts, and content vocabulary.

Social Science Description

"Pair-Share" is a great strategy to use when helping students process and explore new ideas. Here are some ways we can use this strategy in the Social Science classroom.

Students could...

• turn and talk about a passage in a text.
• work together to analyze an image, map, or graph.
• discuss how they have marked a primary document.
• engage in a paired writing task.
• work together to analyze a prompt.
• review and rehearse reading strategies, course concepts, and essential ideas.
• spend a few minutes writing about an idea, then turn and share their ideas with a classmate.
• stand and find a partner, then discuss ideas in a textbook or in an article.
• talk about words, concepts, and content vocabulary.

Standardized Exams Description

Although the "Pair-Share" strategy would not be appropriate during state or local standardized exams (or any exam for that matter), we can still use the strategy while students learn test taking skills. Here are some ways to use this strategy while engaging our students in test preparation.

Students could...

• turn and talk about a passage in a text.
• work together to analyze a poem.
• discuss how they have marked their texts.
• engage in a paired writing task.
• work together to analyze a prompt.
• review and rehearse reading strategies, course concepts, and essential ideas.
• spend a few minutes writing about an idea, then turn and talk about their ideas with a classmate.
• stand and find a partner, then discuss ideas in a novel, poem, or article.
• talk about words, concepts, and content vocabulary.