What best enhances participation of students with language-expression challenges in collaborative text-based discussions?

Offering relevant sentence or language frames to scaffold responses is particularly effective in enhancing the participation of students with language-expression challenges during collaborative text-based discussions. This approach provides these students with the structured support they need to articulate their thoughts and engage meaningfully with peers.

Language frames serve as templates that guide students in forming their responses, which can alleviate anxiety about expressing their ideas and reduce the cognitive load associated with generating language. By having a clear structure to follow, students are more likely to participate in discussions, interact with the text, and contribute their insights without feeling overwhelmed by the requirements of spontaneous speech.

In contrast, other options might not provide the same level of supportive scaffolding. While written summaries can aid comprehension, they do not directly address the expressive difficulties students may face. Encouraging students to speak more often might inadvertently place pressure on them without providing necessary tools for effective communication. Assigning students to small reading groups offers a supportive environment, but without specific language scaffolding, students may still struggle to share their thoughts adequately. Thus, providing sentence or language frames is the most effective way to enable active participation for these students.