1. Paraphrase and Summarize What Others Say
We are saying that …
So, far we have talked about …
In general, what we are saying is…
This is what I have heard so far …
So ________’s idea is _________... Is that right?

2. Contradict or Disagree
I disagree with ________ because…
On the other hand …
I disagree with what _________ said because …
True, but I would like to point out that …
That’s a valid point, but …
And yet, we need to remember that …

3. Build on Another’s Idea
I like what _______ is saying. We could also …
Let’s build on ________’s idea…
I want to also say that …
I want to add that …
Along those same lines …

4. Make Connections This is like __________.
What would you have done in this situation?
How does this relate to…?
What is the big lesson here?

5. Clarify I think ________ is most important. What do you think?
What are the most important points?
I think it’s more helpful to think about…
What is the author trying to say?

6. Ask for Elaboration, Explanation, Examples
Could you explain that?
Can you give us an example?
Tell us more about that?
Can someone paraphrase this section?
What is the evidence?

7. Discussion Feature Cards
Adapted by WIDA and Michelle Shory from Zwiers, 2008