Story Discussion in the Primary Grades: Balancing Authenticity and Explicit Teaching

Literature discussion groups have become a popular instructional alternative to traditional reading groups. Yet, literature discussion does not happen naturally in the classroom, and some teachers find it particularly difficult to implement with primary‐grade students. This article explores how two teachers used a balance of explicit teaching and techniques of authentic dialogue to help students participate in meaningful discussions of literature. The teachers began by emphasizing telling, defining, and modeling at the beginnings of their lessons—moves that appeared to be critical to students' eventual participation. Gradually, the teachers lessened their scaffolding, allowing students to lead more of the discussion. Within an atmosphere of respect for students, shown by much student choice and decision making, literature discussion became more successful.