Developing Mathematical Practices: Small Group Discussions

Facilitating small group discussions is essential. Small group discussions determine the quality of whole group discussions and the opportunities for students’ mathematical thinking. They also support students’ cognitive autonomy, communication, and justification strategies. Realizing these benefits depends on the quality of the small group discussions. In this paper, several practices for facilitating productive small group discussions are discussed. These practices include expecting and assessing students’ understanding of strategies used by their peers, and giving students a responsibility to make their strategies accessible to others. Questions to guide and assess small group discussions are included. These practices were observed in several classrooms during a longitudinal study