The Most Reasonable Answer: Helping Students Build Better Arguments Together - Softcover

Alina Reznitskaya (author)|Ian A.G. Wilkinson (author)|Catherine E. Snow (Foreword By)

Softcover

ISBN 10: 168253121X ISBN 13: 9781682531211

Publisher: Harvard Education Press, 2017

Synopsis

The Most Reasonable Answer is an innovative and comprehensive guide to using inquiry dialogue―a type of text-based classroom discussion featuring big, contested questions that has been shown to improve higher-order thinking and augment literacy. Based on years of research and work in nearly fifty classrooms, the book supports teachers in facilitating this type of classroom talk in upper-elementary grades, when children are developmentally ready to practice making rigorous, reasoned arguments based on evidence―a critical life skill.

Reznitskaya and Wilkinson introduce a robust Argumentation Rating Tool, a rubric highlighting eleven strategies and corresponding talk moves that can be used by teachers and students to improve the quality of their arguments by clarifying meaning, considering alternative perspectives, and connecting ideas. The authors also include annotated transcripts that illustrate how teachers can effectively facilitate whole-group and small-group discussions using fiction, nonfiction, and multimodal texts.

Packed with a rich array of field-tested resources, The Most Reasonable Answer is an essential resource for educators looking for new ways to teach critical thinking skills and engage students in high-quality discourse.

About this title

About the Author

Alina Reznitskaya is a professor in the Department of Educational Foundations at Montclair State University.

Ian A. G. Wilkinson is a professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University.

From the Back Cover

The Most Reasonable Answer is an innovative and comprehensive guide to engaging students in inquiry dialogue--a type of talk used in text-based classroom discussion. Based on years of research and work in nearly fifty classrooms, this book provides solid support and an Argumentation Rating Tool rubric for educators looking for new ways to teach critical thinking and engage upper-elementary students in high-quality discourse.

"Finally, a resource that can help elementary teachers engage students in deep, meaningful discussions about the texts they read! This book is a fabulous resource to help educators understand the essential concepts of argument literacy, and to plan and conduct classroom discussions--a skill that will help students meet the most rigorous standards."
--Amy Pacifico, fifth-grade teacher, West Orange School District, New Jersey

"Reznitskaya and Wilkinson illuminate the idea of argumentation as a way to help all students think critically, engage with one another's ideas around complex issues, and learn how to learn. The authors translate research and theory into an accessible vision of discourse-rich dialogic classroom environments, relevant to any subject matter. They provide practices, tools, and richly detailed examples that can help make student-led argument a core element of any curriculum."
--Mark Windschitl, professor of science education, University of Washington

"With strong conceptual grounding in argumentation theory, rich research-based examples of teachers facilitating inquiry dialogues, and practical tools for building elementary students' argument literacy through collaborative classroom talk, The Most Reasonable Answer is a tremendous resource for elementary and middle school teachers, literacy coaches, and literacy teacher educators. I am now awaiting the secondary-level installment!"
--Mary M. Juzwik, professor, departments of teacher Education and English, Michigan State University

Alina Reznitskaya is a professor in the Department of Educational Foundations at Montclair State University. Ian A. G. Wilkinson is a professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University. Catherine E. Snow is the Patricia Albjerg Graham Professor of Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Edition details

• Publisher: Harvard Education Press
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 168253121X
• ISBN 13: 9781682531211
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224