No Hands Up Ideas

[Guest]

Does anyone have any ideas for alternatives to 'hands up' to share ideas in class? I would love to hear your ideas.

[catma]

Talk pairs and then you choose who answers and shares to bigger group.

Cx

[fluffylamb]

Hi,

 

I haven't used 'no hands' for EYFS before - may try it later in Year ... will have to think long and hard before using it tho!

I used no hands in Year 1 and with KS2 and it worked very well. No hands works best for open-ended questions, or questions when chn can explain their answers or when there are lots of different answers.

I explained that all children needed thinking time and the best answers weren't necessarily the quickest answers. When chn had an answer, I'd encourage them to put their fingers on their lips so that I knew they had something to share, but they had to continue to think if there was another answer they could give.

When an answer was shared, chn who had the same answer would put their fingers down and I'd praise those chn for also getting the right answer. If chn had more to add, they would keep their fingers on their lips and would get more out of the others.

e.g.

- open question [show a picture, e.g. chn crossing a road - some chn doing it safely and others not looking]

What is happening in the picture? ... Well done, Shaun has an answer. remember, there could be lots of answers, so keep thinking.

- Focus on a child who contributes less to discussions.

Well done Sarah. The boys are in danger, because they're not crossing the road safely. [Others put fingers down from lips 'cos they had same answer]. Well done Jim and Tim. You also had the same answers.

Rachel still has her finger on her lip. That means she has more to add

Continue getting more info and adding more open ended questions. So what do we need to remember when crossing a road?

Then practise it in playground and then in a real life context - e.g. walking with them to shops or to post box.

 

Haven't explained it that well, but main points are to encourage thinking time (esp to encourage chn who don't normally contribute), you also challenge the more able chn not just to give the simplest responses, you can praise lots of chn for having correct answers because they would all put their fingers down, also when chn keep their fingers on their lips, it shows you they have even more to give. When you expect everyone to have a response, they will have one. It works best for higher order thinking questions - I don't use it so much when I want quick answers to quicken the pace.

 

I'd be interested in other people who have used this with EYFS.

 

Fluffy Lamb

[Guest LornaW]

I had all the children's names on a lolly stick and these were kept in a pot.

Sometimes Iwould take a lolly stick out and say this question is for 'so and so' and then ask a question according to the ability of the child.

Othertimes I would ask the question and give the children thinking time and then randomly take a lolly out and read out the name.

It means all children have as much chance to answer and also that I could differentiate in my questions.

Always worked very well and meant everyone was thinking ready to give an answer.

 

orna

[Guest]

I had all the children's names on a lolly stick and these were kept in a pot.

Sometimes Iwould take a lolly stick out and say this question is for 'so and so' and then ask a question according to the ability of the child.

Othertimes I would ask the question and give the children thinking time and then randomly take a lolly out and read out the name.

It means all children have as much chance to answer and also that I could differentiate in my questions.

Always worked very well and meant everyone was thinking ready to give an answer.

 

orna

 

 

I love that idea! So many children just sit there waiting for someone else to answer and sometimes it's difficult to catch them with your questioning. I think I'll try this in a few weeks.

[Guest]

I love that idea! So many children just sit there waiting for someone else to answer and sometimes it's difficult to catch them with your questioning. I think I'll try this in a few weeks.

 

Thanks for all the replies - it is great to get other ideas. Also wondered, if you have a no hands up rule does that apply all the time? I don't want to confuse them or myself!

[Rufus]

I didn't realise 'hands up' was such an issue..... My children just volunteer their contributions and if it is getting too hectic, I ask for hands up. They are never confused by this. I chop and change what I do all the time using lots of different strategies and even my newbies understand what I am asking of them.

Some people have real issues with hands up but I haven't ever really understood this.

[Guest LornaW]

I didn't realise 'hands up' was such an issue..... My children just volunteer their contributions and if it is getting too hectic, I ask for hands up. They are never confused by this. I chop and change what I do all the time using lots of different strategies and even my newbies understand what I am asking of them.

Some people have real issues with hands up but I haven't ever really understood this.

 

Rufus over the years I had noticed that there are some children who soon learn that someone else will put their hand up and I actually asked a group once why no one was volunteering to answer and one very articulate child said ' We know Philip will always know the answer!' Then went on some training with Alastair Smith and took the idea. Didn't use it every single time but I did use it in group work and also found it was very useful for differentiated questions as I have always worked in mixed ability groups.

 

Lorna

[Upsy Daisy]

Rufus over the years I had noticed that there are some children who soon learn that someone else will put their hand up and I actually asked a group once why no one was volunteering to answer and one very articulate child said ' We know Philip will always know the answer!' Then went on some training with Alastair Smith and took the idea. Didn't use it every single time but I did use it in group work and also found it was very useful for differentiated questions as I have always worked in mixed ability groups.

 

Lorna

 

I know that my younger daughter doesn't bother putting her hand up because there's no need if someone else is ready to answer. These 'no hands up' ideas would encourage her to participate more in her quieter, more reserved fashion.

 

I love the idea of everybody having thinking time and getting credit for having the same answer as someone who has already spoken.

[Panders]

There is an article in the Daily Mail about "No hands up" today - the BBC have made a programme about this to be shown during the Schools season.

 

They were 13 year olds I think - they had to write their answers on personal whiteboards first, and then all show them at the same time! It apparently upset a few to begin with - those who didn't usually bother to do much - had to for once, and those who always got teacher praise for knowing the answer were upset because they couldn't "show off".