Allow students to participate non-verbally by pointing, choosing from visual options, or matching words/pictures when the music stops. Model sentence frames they may echo or repeat.

Pair questions with visuals and gestures. Allow students to repeat familiar phrases and use present-tense verbs during interactions. Give choices (yes/no, picture A/B).

Offer a small bank of possible answers, short phrases, or vocabulary cards for students to refer to when they “freeze.” Encourage short phrases or simple sentences to express ideas (e.g., “I notice…” “Why…?”).

Assign roles such as “explainer,” “connector,” or “questioner” to structure deeper interaction. Use prompts that require opinions, connections, and explanations (e.g., “I believe this means…” “This connects to…”).

Pose open-ended or analytical questions that require thinking (e.g., “How does this idea connect to something earlier?” “What might happen if…?”). Encourage students to lead the group discussion and justify their ideas using content-area vocabulary and increasingly complex sentences.