What do we mean by APT?

Academically productive talk (APT) is talk that develops students’ reasoning ability and deepens students’ understanding of academic content.

It does so by: 

  • giving students an opportunity to articulate their own ideas; 
  • exposing students to the ideas of others that may differ from their own;
  • prompting students to respond to questions about and challenges to their ideas; and
  • revealing areas of uncertainty that require further consideration or investigation.

Knowing APT when you see it

APT can look different in different classrooms, content areas, and points in time. If you see some of these features in classroom interactions, it is likely you are observing APT:
  • Students explaining what they are thinking 
  • Students relating their own ideas or experiences to the focal issue
  • Students reacting to what other students have said by challenging, agreeing, or adding on to what was said
  • Students reasoning together
  • Students presenting and classmates interacting 
APT versus IRE

APT differs from classroom talk in which the teacher asks a question that has a single right answer and the student responds—what is often referred to as IRE (teacher Initiates, student Responds, teacher Evaluates).

IRE can be helpful for practicing a skill or as a review, but APT requires students to think more deeply and to articulate their thinking to others:

IRE APT
What is 3 times 8? Work with your partner to represent the number 24 in as many ways as you can
Who can recall the four phases of the moon? Why does the moon’s appearance change?
What are the three branches of the U.S. Government? Discuss with your group which branch of the federal government you think is most powerful, and why.

IRE requires that students remember what was read or taught; APT requires that students process what was read or taught to generate their own arguments, explanations, ideas, or solutions.

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