Building on Others' Ideas

You will learn how to build on others' ideas so a group talk keeps growing instead of stopping after one person speaks. When you build on an idea, you ask a question that fits the topic or you add a new thought that connects to what a classmate just said. This lesson grows out of what you learned in Contributing Through Discussion Questions, where you practiced asking questions that help others share.

Building on an idea means you take what a classmate said and you make it bigger. You do not just say "I like that" and stop. You ask a question about it, or you add a new thought that connects to it. Think of an idea like a small building block. Your job is to stack another block on top so the tower grows taller.

For example, if a classmate says "I think we should plant flowers by the school gate," you can build on that idea by asking "What kind of flowers grow best in the sun?" or by adding "We could also put a sign next to the flowers so people know not to step on them."

A relevant question is a question that fits the topic the group is already talking about. It is not a question about something new. If your group is talking about class pets, a relevant question might be "How much food does a hamster eat in one day?" A question about your weekend does not fit, so it is not a relevant question right now.

Before you ask, listen for the main point in what your classmate said. Then ask a question that helps the group learn more about that same point.

After you ask questions, you can also add your own idea to the talk. Adding an idea means you share a new thought that connects to what was already said. You can start with words like "I agree, and" or "That reminds me" or "Another idea is."

Suppose your group is planning a class trip and one classmate says "Let's visit the science museum." You could add "I agree, and we could also bring a notebook to draw the exhibits we like best." Your idea did not repeat theirs. It grew from theirs.

You cannot build on an idea you did not hear. Before you ask a question or add a thought, listen closely and picture the main point in your head. If you are not sure what a classmate meant, you can say "Can you say that again?" That is also a way of building on an idea, because it helps the whole group understand it better.

This kind of careful listening and adding is also part of Leading Collaborative Discussions, a skill you will grow into later.

Relevant Question: A question that fits the topic the group is already talking about.

Add On: To share a new idea that connects to what a classmate just said.

Connect: To join your idea to a classmate's idea so they fit together.

Main Point: The most important idea a speaker is trying to share.

Stay on Topic: Keeping your questions and ideas about the same subject the group is discussing.

Sit in a small circle with two or three classmates. Pick one topic, like a favorite recess game. Let one person share an idea about it. The next person must ask a relevant question or add a new idea before the turn passes on. Keep going around the circle and watch how big the idea grows.

Try using these starter phrases: "I agree, and," "That makes me think," "Can you tell me more about," and "Another idea is." Count how many turns it takes before the group has ten new thoughts about the same topic.

Related lessons

• Contributing Through Discussion Questions