Using ‘Think, Pair, Share’ with kids and youth

Think, Pair, Share is a great tool to generate meaningful discussion, participation from everyone in the group as well as allows everyone a chance to think deeper

At the end of last year, I was sitting in a packed classroom observing an experienced SRE teacher manage a class of thirty hot and tired students at the end of term four. There was not enough space for them all on the floor and some students were squeezed against chairs and desks. There was also no way the teacher could hear from every student in a class discussion. She asked a question and directed the class to Think, Pair, Share. I was reminded again how knowing when and how to use simple strategies like this one can make a great lesson even better. And this strategy works in many contexts beyond SRE too.

What does it look like?

Step 1. Think – Children think about their response to a question individually.

Step 2. Pair – Children find a partner and share their thoughts.

Step 3. Share – The group shares with the teacher some of the ideas that came out of their individual reflection and discussion with their partner.

Another variation of this strategy involves just the first two steps.

Why use Think, Pair, Share?

The main benefit of this strategy is that every child participates. Every child needs to think about the question and share the answer with at least one other person. The expectation is that the whole group is involved not just the few who are chosen to answer the question. Children are given the opportunity to listen and respond to each other as well as to the teacher or leader.

It can also be a less threatening option for those who are too shy to answer in front of the whole group or those who take longer to think and articulate their answer. For this reason too, this strategy is great when you have children for whom English is a second language, who might be translating their thoughts from one language to another.

When is this strategy most effective?

- In large group contexts where it is difficult to hear from everyone in the group in limited time.

- In mixed-age contexts where children will be responding to the question with different degrees of understanding and prior knowledge. Each child has the chance to think and respond to the question at their level.

- With a group that shows reluctance to speak or fear of ‘getting it wrong’.

- When you have one or two challenging children to manage in a larger group. A helper, co-leader or you can pair with the challenging child so they do not disrupt the others. This also gives you the opportunity to give that child more attention which may be the cause of the disruptive behaviour in the first place.

How can I use Think, Pair, Share effectively?

Think, pair, share works best when the children are familiar with the strategy. The first time might not go as smoothly as you’d hope but with repetition, it becomes an activity that is enjoyable and effective.

Being concise and clear about what is expected at each step will speed up this process. Especially while the group is getting used to this activity, explain one step at a time, not all at once. The first time might go something like this,

‘We’re going to answer this question by doing Think, Pair, Share. I’m going to ask the question again [or write it up] and I want each of you to silently think of your answer to that question in your own head. I’m going to give you 20 seconds. Ready, set, go.’

If possible, move around the space watching the children think. Some might need your presence near them or eye contact or hand signal to remind them to think silently.

‘Great! I could see you all thinking and I can’t wait to hear your answers. But the next step is to pair up with the person next to you.’

Some children might show anxiety about who they will pair with. It’s more important that every student gets to share their thoughts than with whether every student is in a pair or a threesome, so you might need to be flexible at that point. Or you might set up established pairs that always sit together. Preparing for how this will work best in your context can save time and keep stress levels low.

‘Now when I say Go, you’re going to share your answer to this question with your pair partner. You’re going to take turns so everyone gets to share their thoughts. I’m going to give you one minute. When one minute is up, I will clap my hands and everyone will finish speaking and look quietly at me. Ready, set, go.’

Again, walk around the room if you can and observe which children are engaged or not, and who needs a gentle prompt.

Using a timer can free you from spending too long on any part. It may take longer at first because you are slowing down to give directions but ideally you don’t want to be taking longer than 3-4 minutes for the whole activity.

‘Well done! I could hear lots of good ideas being shared. I was really impressed to see some of you being very good listeners as well as good speakers. Now it’s time to share some of the things you talked about with everyone. Hands up who shared or heard a good thought about the answer to our question.’

Another benefit of this strategy is that it slows down the process of asking and answering questions and pushes us to ask better questions. We will hear better answers if we thoughtfully prepare questions that allow children to think deeply about the lesson content. 

As you start to plan and prepare for the term ahead, whether it’s in SRE ministry, Kids Church or youth group, is there a time when could you use Think, Pair, Share?