ABSTRACT
This chapter provides some simple ideas for familiarising children with the 4Cs ground rules and encouraging them to reflect on the quality of their dialogue using the ground rules as a guide. In Douglas Barnes’s words: When a teacher replies to his pupils he is by implication taking their view of the subject seriously, even though he may wish to extend and modify it. Establishing and displaying a set of 4Cs ground rules is a significant step to developing a culture of dialogue in the classroom. It is important that the children understand what the behaviours encouraged by these ground rules might look and sound like. When a talk session is over it is important that the groups spend some time reflecting on the quality of their dialogue. The 4Cs ground rules allow us to ‘begin with the end in mind’ – they are an articulation of what we might see when quality dialogue is taking place in the classroom.
