Co-operative Reading/Reciprocal Teaching
Reciprocal teaching of reading is a useful small-group procedure that helps develop the comprehension and
critical thinking of fluent and independent readers. Studies have shown that when students take part in
reciprocal teaching, their comprehension (including their listening comprehension) improves and they apply the
learning to other reading contexts. Reciprocal teaching has been found to be effective in improving the
achievement of learners from diverse backgrounds. It involves four explicit strategies for reading
comprehension:
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formulating questions to stimulate thoughtful discussion;
clarifying ideas and information in the text;
predicting what might follow, using prior knowledge and information in the text;
summarising information in the text.
The teacher initially leads the group, explaining and modelling the strategies to show how the reader actively
constructs meaning. The students gradually take over more and more of the responsibility by taking turns to lead
the group and generate discussion as the group members jointly examine and interpret the text.
Students are divided into groups of four, each with a copy of the reading text. Each student is given an allocated
letter. Students then read the passage individually, or one person is nominated to read it aloud. Depending on the
letter they have been allocated each student undertakes one specific task:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Predicts what the text will be about.
Asks a question - either a word meaning or something else she doesn't understand. The rest of the
group try to answer.
Identifies a key word in a passage and explains its importance. The others offer a key word so that the
group comes up with 4-6 key words.
Retells or summarises the information. The group agrees on this summary.
The group then creates a visual that sums up the text.
Each skill needs to be taught/modelled beforehand. The first few times this strategy is used it is useful for the
teacher to model it with the whole class. For example, use a text and elicit responses from the confident students
in the class. Then using another section of text allocate the group roles and use these Cooperative Reading
(Word 60KB) to remind students of their roles. The students write their responses on the Task sheet (Word
37KB) and the teacher elicits responses from different groups in the class, recording on the whiteboard and
talking through issues as they arise.
Question dice are a useful and enjoyable way of developing students' questioning skills.
Co-operative reading is based on Palincsar and Brown's research into reciprocal teaching (North Central
Regional Educational Laboratory website).
http://esolonline.tki.org.nz/ESOL-Online/Teacher-needs/Pedagogy/Cross-curricularstrategies/Teaching-approaches-and-strategies/Reading/Co-operative-reading-Reciprocalteaching
Co-operative Reading - Task Cards
#1
Co-operative Reading
Your task is to:
1. Predict what you think the text will be about before the group starts reading and
share this with the group. Use headings, sub headings and visuals.
2. As you read confirm (or disprove) your prediction and explain your thinking to
the group during the discussion time.
#2
Co-operative Reading
Your task is to:
1. Ask a question about the text for the rest of the group to answer. Try to ask a
question about the meaning of the text rather than a question about the meaning of a
particular word, although you can do this as well. The group will take turns to help
you answer the question.
2. Lead the rest of the group to ask questions in turn, and help them to answer them.
#3
Co-operative Reading
Your task is to:
1. Identify a key word in the text and explain it.
2. Lead the others to also identify and explain key words, until the group has a list
of about 10 - 12 words.
3. As a group, decide on no more than 8 key words.
#4
Co-operative Reading
Your task is to:
1. Retell or summarise the information in your own words.
2. After everyone has had a turn, lead the group discussion so that the group agrees
on a summary statement using the list of key words.
Cooperative Reading - Task Sheet
Read the text carefully and complete the following activities. After each activity your teacher
will stop you so that the whole class can share their ideas.
1.
Use headings, subheadings and visuals to predict what the text will be about.
Think about what you already know about this topic.
2.
Write a question about something that you don't understand about the text.
3.
Write down what you think are the 6 most important key words.
4.
Retell or summarise the information.