Choosing Effective Partner Activities

In 30+ years of teaching, I've definitely learned to be choosy about the activities I use in my classroom!  

Here are my 3 must-haves when it comes to partner activities:

1.  A valid reason to have students work together rather than alone
Why pair students for an activity?  Practicing with a partner is a great way to ensure that each student understands a concept or skill before turning them loose to work independently.  A well-designed activity can really help students clarify their understanding of a topic.

2. A task that promotes discussion 

Discussion tends to flourish in pairs as opposed to in larger groups because both students must interact.  Asking questions and giving input tends to be less intimidating for them when working in pairs.

3. Students who are actively involved and learning

One student copying answers from the other is NOT what I'm after.  As they complete the activity, both students should be putting forth effort and making progress toward achieving the learning objective.

My go-to for meeting all of these needs at once in my math classes is a Partner Power activity.  Each student solves a different set of problems and must do his/her own work, but when the partners compare answers they should be the same. This helps students build confidence as they verify correct solutions, identify errors, and correct their work. Rich discussions result because students are solving different problems, yet are responsible for showing their own work.  As a bonus, these activities are self-checking. 

Create your own task or find a readymade math activity in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.