Quality Talk

Quality Talk is a small-group discussion intervention designed to promote high-level comprehension of text for fourth- and fifth-grade students. The intervention uses small groups of 4-6 students who engage in text-based discussions about their regular language arts curriculum readings. Students receive explicit mini-lessons on questioning (6 lessons) and argumentation (4 lessons) to learn how to ask authentic questions and construct reasoned arguments. Teachers participate in initial two-day professional development and receive ongoing coaching through five discourse coaching sessions. The intervention is implemented weekly over a full school year (approximately 19 discussions after baseline), with each discussion lasting 15-20 minutes. Students use Quality Talk literacy journals before and after discussions to prepare questions and respond to prompts. The intervention emphasizes shared control between teachers and students, with teachers gradually releasing responsibility and interpretive authority to students over time. Discussion ground rules establish norms for productive discourse, and each session ends with a debrief where students set content and process goals.