INCREASED WAIT TIME

Pausing to wait for an answer provides vital time in which thoughts flow and processing occurs.

Teachers find increasing the wait time to more than three seconds difficult.

Research has shown that teachers only leave a gap of about one second before accepting an answer.

Increasing the wait time can result in the following changes :-

• pupils give extended answers.

• more pupils are likely to offer an answer.

• the number of “I don’t know” responses decreases.

• pupils do not blurt out an answer.

• the responses given are more thoughtful and creative.

• the frequency of questions raised by the pupils increases.

• the frequency of responses from less able pupils increases.

• the learner realises that it is their responsibility to do the thinking.

Strategies to allow wait time:-

• count slowly ‘one elephant, two elephants, three elephants’ or chant ‘one, two three four (got to wait a little more) 5,6.7,8’.

• tell pupils this is a ‘fat’ or thinking question.

• tell the pupils to ”think! Are you thinking?”

SEE LIFE CYCLES LESSON LEVEL B