What is it?
Opportunities to respond is when the teacher provides a cue, question or prompt that invites students to respond in a group e.g. answering a question in unison or individually e.g. using verbal responses, response cards or white boards. Providing opportunities to respond can help to increase engagement and reinforce learning.
How do I use it?
Planning
- In your daily/weekly plan identify lessons where you can use Opportunities to respond. This strategy is useful to assess students' understanding of new material and reinforce previously learned material.
- Identify:
- who will respond e.g. individual/group
- how an individual/group will be selected e.g. draw a name from a bucket, one side of the room
- type of response method verbal, nonverbal e.g. response cards, gestures, electronic clickers, written
- number of opportunities to respond e.g. single response or a block of questions
- when it will be used e.g. beginning of the session provides information on previously learnt material, while during or end of the session is useful for assessing understanding of new knowledge.
- Teach students different methods of responding e.g. use of
Response cards.
Implementation
- Check students have materials available e.g. response cards
- Tell students you are going to provide them with Opportunities to Respond. Explain how are they are to respond e.g. group/individual; verbal/nonverbal
- Provide feedback on the students' response.
Age group
Providing opportunities to respond and become engaged in learning is used across all age groups.
| Preschool | Yes |
| P-2 | Yes |
| 3-6 | Yes |
| High school | Yes |
Where can I learn more?