Pose a question to students. 

Give students a few minutes to think. 

Invite students to pair with a nearby student to share their thoughts.

PURPOSE

What kind of thinking does this routine encourage? 

This routine promotes understanding through active reasoning and explanation. Because students listen to and share ideas with others, it also encourages students to understand multiple perspectives.

APPLICATION

When and where can I use it? 

This routine can be used when it would help for students to process their thinking aloud with another student. For example, you may ask students to Think, Pair, Share before starting a science experiment, in the middle of solving a math problem, after reading a passage of a book, etc. Sharing can also be done in small groups.

LAUNCH

What are some tips for starting and using this routine?

When first introducing the routine, you may want to remind students to take turns, listen carefully, and ask clarifying questions of each other. One way to encourage students to listen actively to each other is to tell them that when they have completed their conversations, you will ask some students to explain their partner’s thinking. Encourage students to make their thinking visible by asking them to write or draw their ideas before and/or after sharing (perhaps in a journal). You may also want to document students’ ideas and display them in the learning space. Sometimes it is useful to have pairs or groups summarize their ideas for the whole class.