Discourse Quality

Step 2: Discourse Quality

Assessing the Depth of Student-to-Student Talk

In small-group work, it’s not just who is talking—it’s how students are talking to one another that matters. Step 2 focuses on the nature and depth of student-to-student discourse.

High-quality mathematical discourse goes beyond sharing answers. It involves students explaining their thinking, listening to and questioning one another, and critiquing and building on their peers’ reasoning. These actions are essential for positioning students as active doers of mathematics.

Use the Discourse Quality tool to help you assess current talk by identifying and tracking eight types of question–response (QR) pairs*, organized along a continuum of increasing sophistication from logistical exchanges to critiques and justifications.