All children are different one from the other. In every classroom there are some children who stand out and come more readily to the notice of teachers than others. These are students who invariably volunteer answers to questions and to push themselves forward to be noticed and appreciated by teachers.

When discussing issues or undertaking teaching tasks requiring oral responses by children, it’s wise to make sure that the “quiet” students are recognised and invited to speak.

Quieter and more reflective students often have a lot to offer. They bring interesting perspectives to bear on conversations and the classroom discussions. If they are pushed to one side by exuberant children, what could be quite valuable material to conversation and topic consideration can be lost.

One way to ensure that all children are included in a conversation, especially if the teacher is new to the group and doesn’t know them all that well, is to have a class list with them. As a child speaks, place a mark against their name. Quieter students will be more quickly noticed. Invitations to the students to join can help bring the whole class together when considering issues.

It is important that every child be given the opportunity to contribute to discussions and classroom conversations.