Adding to Others' Ideas

When your class has a discussion, one person talks and then it is your turn. Adding to others' ideas means you listen carefully to what a speaker says, and then you say something that connects to their idea. You might share a comment, or you might ask a question. Either way, your words show that you were really listening.

Adding to an idea means you do not just say your own new thought. You link your words to what the speaker just said. If a classmate says "I think ants are strong because they carry big leaves," you could add, "That makes me think ants might work together as a team too." Your comment connects to their idea about ants being strong.

This is different from just waiting for your turn to talk about something else. Adding to an idea is like passing a ball back and forth in a game. The ball stays in play because everyone keeps touching it. In a discussion, the idea stays alive because everyone keeps building on it.

Before you can add anything, you need to know the speaker's main point. Watch and listen for the one big idea they are sharing. Ask yourself, "What is this person really trying to say?" You cannot add to an idea you did not hear clearly.

Try repeating the idea quietly in your head. If your classmate says, "I liked the part of the story where the fox tricked the crow," your job is to notice the point is about the fox tricking the crow.

Once you know the point, pick one of two ways to respond.

A comment adds a new detail or a connected thought. Example: "I agree the fox was clever, and I noticed the crow was tricked because it liked to sing."

A question asks the group to think more. Example: "Why do you think the crow believed the fox?"

Both answers stay on the same topic. Neither one jumps to something unrelated, like talking about a different animal story.

Certain phrases help your listeners hear that you are building on the last idea. The picture below shows how a speaker's idea and your response connect.

Speaker's point: The main idea a person is sharing when they talk.

Comment: A short response that adds a detail or a connected thought to what was said.

Question: A response that asks the group to explain or think more about the idea.

Connecting phrase: A short set of words, like "I want to add," that link your response to the speaker's idea.

On topic: Staying with the same subject the speaker was talking about instead of switching to something new.

Try this with a partner. One of you says a simple idea, like "My favorite season is winter because of the snow." The other person listens, then adds a comment or a question that connects to the idea, such as "I wonder what your favorite thing to do in the snow is."

You can also practice during a read-aloud. After a classmate shares what they noticed about a character, add your own comment about the same character or the same part of the story. Keep your response tied to their point.

Related lessons

• Building on Group Ideas