For teachers and coaches
Thinking in pairs
15 minutes · all levels · pair work
What the children learnfind their own ideas and check their partner’s idea.
What you needtwo exercises of similar difficulty, same topic but a different position. From Level 3, one board per pair and small positions.
How it goes
- Say: “On exercise 1, A explains and B looks for the opponent’s reply. On exercise 2 you swap.” From Level 3 the pairs set up exercise 1 while they do this.1 minute
- Both think quietly and write a move in the workbook (Level 1 and 2: an arrow).2 minutes
- A explains their move. B asks and looks for the opponent’s best reply. Both check what happens then.3 minutes
- You show the solution. Both correct.2 minutes
- Exercise 2 the same way, with the roles swapped. From Level 3 the children solve it in the workbook first and set it up only to check.7 minutes
Level 1 and 2
the children show the moves in the workbook and explain them aloud.
Tip
a pair is finished when both can explain the move and the opponent’s best reply. If only one child talks, ask the other for the next explanation. If the children have two different ideas, they check both in turn – they do not vote.
Odd numbers
one pair works as three (see How every exercise runs).
In a large class
visit three or four pairs per exercise, preferably with children from the Listening list.