American education traditionally has used a "recitation script," a repeated assignment/assessment cycle. Contemporary educational reform is now emphasizing the fundamental, natural method of teaching, such as assisting learners through "instructional conversation." This method helps learners perform just beyond their current capacity. This assistance in the "zone of proximal development" awakens the mental capacities of learners of all ages. It is provided through the instructional conversation, a dialogue between the teacher and learners in which the teacher carefully listens to grasp the students' communicative intent, and tailors the dialogue to meet the emerging understanding of the learners. This pattern of relationship is appropriate for the communication of an entire school, in which teachers assist and converse with one another, administrators assist and converse with teachers, and administration provides activity settings in which these instructional conversations can occur. Contains 14 references. (Author/LB)