Virginia SOL 9.C.1.A.i

ELA9th GradeCommunication and Multimodal Literacies

The Standard

Applying a variety of strategies to listen actively and speak purposefully and respectfully.

Virginia Standards of Learning for English · Communication, Listening, and Collaboration

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students listen closely, track others' ideas, and respond to what was actually said. They use questions, paraphrases, evidence, and respectful language to move a discussion forward. They also share airtime and include different viewpoints.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students enter discussions prepared and refer to specific details from the topic or text. They paraphrase others accurately, ask useful questions, and connect their comments to earlier ideas. They disagree respectfully and make room for different voices.
Common Misconceptions: Students may treat active listening as staying quiet rather than responding to a speaker's ideas. They may interrupt, repeat earlier points, or disagree without evidence. Some focus on speaking often instead of helping the group think more clearly.
How to Assess It: Put students in triads for a five-minute discussion on a class text. Check whether each student paraphrases one idea, asks one relevant question, and responds respectfully with evidence.

Lesson moves

Give groups conversation-move cards, such as paraphrase, question, connect, and challenge, then require students to use each card during a text discussion.
Ask, "Which character made the most defensible choice?" Students write a claim, discuss it, then revise after hearing two classmates.
Play Discussion Move Bingo, with squares for citing evidence, inviting a quiet speaker, clarifying a point, and respectfully challenging an idea.
Run a mock school committee meeting where students discuss a phone policy, represent assigned viewpoints, and agree on one recommendation.

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A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 9.C.1.A.i, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

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