Think – Pair - Share
Oral Language Strategy Sheet
Think-Pair-Share is a cooperative learning strategy that focuses on the student, independently formulating
his/her own thoughts; discussing and refining them with a partner and then sharing with the group.
Why use Think-Pair-Share?
So that all students will think and speak, not just a vocal minority. If you just ask a question of
the entire class, the quickest responder may actually de-incentivise the others from thinking
about the question at all.
To provide ‘wait time’ - your students’ oral contributions will be richer if they have had time to
think.
Providing each student with an opportunity to discuss his/her thoughts with a partner before
sharing with the wider class may lead to more well-thought out contributions and more confident
contributors.
Learning Outcomes
By choosing to engage in this activity, the following learning outcomes
will automatically be encountered: OL1, OL2, OL11
Depending on the topic you are approaching, this strategy is also a very
effective way to engage with the following learning outcomes: 0L10,
0L12 R2, R6, R7 W5
Key Skills
Communication
Working with Others
Managing Myself
Staying Well
Preparation
The most basic
preparation for Think-Pair-
Share is a clearly defined
topic to discuss.
Student Friendly Learning Intentions:
Students will:
Work independently to interpret personal understanding
Work with others to refine thinking
Gain confidence from collective discussions
Learn to appreciate a range of opinions
Speak with confidence
Instructions
The first step gives students time to think about a topic and to gather and formulate their own thoughts.
Next they can discuss their thoughts with a partner, comparing and contrasting their thoughts and
opinions. Lastly, with the confidence gained from already having articulated and teased out their
thoughts with a partner, they are invited to share their thoughts with the class at large.
Step One: Think
Give students a few moments of silence to think about the topic, to work out what they think, what they
feel, what they are certain or uncertain about.
Step Two: Pair
Give students an opportunity to discuss their thoughts with a partner. The time needed for this stage
will vary depending on the context. This stage will challenge students to articulate and develop their
thoughts and will help to prepare them for the next level of sharing with the entire class.
Step Three: Share
You might ask for volunteers, choose students at random or use a lollipop system to choose students to
share their thoughts. If you (or a student) make notes on the board it can be a nice idea to credit
students’ contributions by adding their initials to the point made.
