Team-Pair-Solo
Grades K-12
Big Idea
Students work to solve problems successfully, first as a team, then in pairs, then independently. This strategy promotes the instructional practice of "I do, we do, you do", where scaffolding is provided in an effort to move students towards success with a concept, independently.
Team-Pair-Solo provides students with the confidence in a skill which may be initially challenging or beyond their ability. Students are given the opportunity to interact with their peers at varying levels of readiness, and allows for students to learn alternative strategies for problem-solving from their peers.
Directions
- Teacher poses a problem, and students work cooperatively in groups of four to solve.
- If the group solves the problem successfully, students advance to solving a new problem in pairs. If not, the group continues to work together to solve the problem. Coaching may be necessary here, either by students within the group, or with the teacher.
- As a pair, students use the Kagan structure "Rally Coach" to solve two additional problems.
- If correct, students advance to independent work, solving similar problems. If not, students move back to team work.
When To Use
Language Arts:
- Applying phonetic rules in spelling/ sight word practice
- Brainstorm examples of figurative language to use in writing
- Practice fluency in the form of repeated readings of a shared text
Math:
- Solving word problems
- Two and three-digit addition/subtraction and multiplication/division
- Place Value: building two and three-digit numbers with manipulatives
Strategy Variations
- Modify the number of problems to be solved in a team, in pairs, and individually.
- Provide opportunities for pairs or solo students showing success to coach student teams or pairs struggling with concepts.
- To promote equal participation and positive interdependence in the "team" stage of problem solving, assign each student a role. Possible roles include:
- Facilitator (facilitates action in the group, dictates what the recorder writes)
- Recorder (records work for the team)
- Timekeeper (keeps group working within time limits)
- Fact Checker (double-checks work of the recorder)
- Encourager (provides positive/constructive feedback to the group)
- Materials Manager (collects, distributes, and handles all materials for the group)
A special thanks to the following sources for the above images:
https://l3xiphile.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/team-pair-solo-co-operative-leanring-strategy/