Turn-taking control for group talk (Talking Chips / equal turns)
Aim (what it achieves)
Prevents domination, shouting over others, and peer conflict by making turn-taking visible and fair.
When to use
Group work discussions; when noise rises; when one student dominates or others withdraw; when peer friction is common.
How to use (steps)
Teacher language (examples)
“Each time you speak, you place a chip in the middle.” “Everyone must use at least one chip before anyone uses a second.”
Top tips (makes it work)
Use for short, focused discussions. Model what a ‘turn’ is (one sentence vs a speech). Combine with sentence stems to keep turns purposeful.
Common pitfalls
Using it when the task is unclear. Allowing chips to become a game. Not correcting sarcastic/unkind turns.
SEND/PP considerations
Helps quieter/anxious students get protected speaking time. Provide stems and vocabulary to all. Be careful with students with social anxiety—start with pairs before groups.
Useful for these SEND needs
Relevant SEND Needs
Why this strategy helps
- Builds predictable routines before disruption.
- Reduces cognitive load and supports completion.
- Supports regulation and relational safety.
Universal SEND-friendly: Yes
SEND-targeted: Yes
Tags
Vulnerability
May be especially relevant for:
Sources
Used in
Common Behaviour Issues (Behaviour Hub)
- Proactively Prevent Calling out / interrupting
- Proactively Prevent Peer friction / bickering / low-level conflict
Related strategies
Pre-correct the ‘risky moment’
Prevent known problems by reminding expectations just before the trigger.
Teach an attention routine (signal → silence → eyes on speaker)
Create a fast, predictable way to secure attention without repeated verbal reminders.
Teach voice levels and talk norms (when to talk, how loud, with whom)
Prevent ‘noise creep’ and low-level disruption by making acceptable talk explicit.
Plan ‘no-dead-time’ material movement (distribution/collection routines)
Prevent low-level disruption that starts in dead time and bottlenecks.
Pre-teach collaboration norms (roles, turn-taking, disagreement rules)
Reduce peer friction and off-task talk by teaching ‘how to work together’.
Structured partner talk with turn-taking (Timed Pair Share / RallyRobin)
Channels chatter into purposeful academic talk so noise is predictable, participation is fair, and attention returns to the teacher cleanly.