Evaluating productively with revoicing

Abstract

Teachers’ language moves play an important role in classroom interactions. How teachers respond to students’ ideas can either facilitate or constrain students’ contributions. This paper delves into two language moves that are often used by teachers—revoicing and evaluation. Specifically, it examines examples from a culturally and linguistically diverse fourth-grade science class to demonstrate how productive evaluation with revoicing can support students in making sense of scientific topics. By using this strategy, the teacher transforms evaluation from a conversation stopper and denial, into a springboard for belonging and deeper learning. It illustrates how substantive teacher responses can create opportunities for deeper student participation and elaboration of ideas among students of different cultural backgrounds.