Easy to organise even in cramped classrooms. Ideal to promote high levels of participation and to ensure that the discussions are highly focused, especially if allied to tight deadlines. Use in the early stages of learning for pupils to recall work from a previous lesson, generate questions, work together to plan a piece of writing, or to take turns to tell a story. Use pairs to promote ‘response partners’ during the drafting process, and to work as reading partners with an unfamiliar text. Ideal for quick fire reflection and review and for rehearsal of ideas before presenting them to the whole class.

Pupils work together in pairs – possibly friendship, possibly boy-girl etc. Each pair then joins up with another pair to explain and compare ideas.

Pupils work in groups of three. Each pupil takes on the role of talker, questioner or recorder. The talker explains something, or comments on an issue, or expresses opinions. The questioner prompts and seeks clarification. The recorder makes notes and gives a report at the end of the conversation. Next time roles are changed.

Once groups have carried out a task, one person from each group is selected as an ‘envoy’ and moves to a new group to explain and summarise and to find out what the new group thought, decided or achieved. The envoy then returns to the original group and feeds back. This is an effective way of avoiding tedious and repetitive ‘;reporting back’ sessions, It also puts a ‘press’ on the envoy’s use of language and creates groups of active listeners.

Pairs discuss an issue or brainstorm some initial ideas, then double up to fours and continue the process, then into groups of eight in order to compare ideas and to sort out the best or to agree on a course of action. Finally, the whole class is drawn together and spokepersons for each group of eight feedback ideas. A useful strategy to promote more public discussion of debate.

A way of ensuring that pupils are regrouped and learn to work with a range of others. After small groups have discussed together, pupils are given a number or colour. Pupils with the same number or colour join up, making groups comprising representatives of each original group. In their new group pupils take turns to report back on their group’s work and perhaps begin to work on a new, combined task.

A topic is divided into sections. In ‘home’ groups of four or five, pupils allocate a section each, and then regroup into ‘expert’ groups. In these groups, experts work together on their chosen area, then return to original ‘home’ groups to report back on their area of expertise. The ‘home’ group is then set a task that requires the pupils to use the different areas of expertise for a joint outcome. This strategy requires advance planning, but is a very effective speaking and listening strategy because it ensures the participation of all pupils.

Each group appoints a spokesperson. The risks of repetition can be avoided if: