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 pupil 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 pupils get protected speaking time. Provide stems and vocabulary to all. Be careful with pupils with social anxiety—start with pairs before groups.
Tags
Sources
Used in
Behaviour Matrix
- Prevent Calling out / interrupting
- Prevent Peer friction / bickering / low-level conflict
Ordinarily Available Practice
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.