[cabst90]

I use a lot of picture worksheets and have the young students right smiley faces (the partner likes it) or frowning faces (the partner doesn't like it), write names of partners who like/have the object, inscribe the object in a circle and write the name of partners who like it/have it inside the circle, etc.

There are various ways to allow the students to talk to each other and move around while at the same time controlling them. It make take a bit until they get used to your specific style, but it works well. With my second graders, I have the students stand and find a partner. When I say "go" they janken (rock, paper, scissors) with their partner. The person who wins asks first. They record their partners' answers. I start counting backwards from 10 and the students know to find a new parter. At the end of the countdown, I say "janken" and they start over.

You can use music and turning the lights off and on to signal that it is time to change partners also.

With first graders, I arrange the desks in pairs. Instead of choosing their own partner (which inevitably leads to more commotion), they talk to the person next to them. When it is time to change partners, one person moves to the next desk in the row.

You can arrange chairs/desks so that there are two rows facing each other. Then play a sort of musical chairs game, except no one gets "out." The students do the communication activity with the person who ends up sitting in front of them.

If the students getting up and moving around is a problem in and of itself, you can arrange the desks in groups of four. If they students sit in groups of four, they can do partner-conversation activities with 3 other people without ever leaving their seats.