Reciprocal Instructional Model by Eileen H Bilen

What is it?
Reciprocal teaching is an instructional activity that takes the form of a dialogue between teachers and students regarding segments of text for the purpose of constructing the meaning of text. Reciprocal Teaching is an interactive reading strategy designed to enhance the student’s comprehension of expository text by integrating the processes of predicting, clarifying, visualizing, questioning, and summarizing during reading. These strategies may be done in any order, hence the term reciprocal. Reciprocal Teaching starts as an oral dialogue between teacher, student, and text. It moves to an automatic conversation between reader and text.

Why do it?
Students often experience frustration when trying to gain information from their
textbooks. They recognize and pronounce words but have poor reading comprehension.
Students who have been taught to practice Reciprocal Teaching strategies have
made dramatic improvement in comprehension following twenty sessions of instruction
using these strategies. Students gain confidence in their abilities to comprehend text and
show improvement in reading for information during independent reading and test taking.
Students who are proficient readers often do not like Reciprocal Teaching
because they have already internalized the strategies that good readers use most often
when they read. However, it will help the struggling students gain “concrete” methods to
help them stay focused and make meaning as they read any kind of text. Reciprocal
Teaching encourages re-reading and meta-cognition, which also lead to greater
comprehension.

How to do it?
The Reciprocal Teaching strategies are introduced to students and modeled by the
teacher in a whole-class situation. Then, as students practice these strategies, the teacher
becomes a coach who slowly withdraws support as the students are empowered to read
with increased comprehension, both in groups and independently. Research
has shown that students must practice this strategy at least 20 times before they
automatically incorporate the strategies as they read.

Reciprocal Teaching has five strategies: Predicting, Visualizing, Clarifying,
Questioning, and Summarizing. “Reciprocal” means “back and forth,” therefore these strategies may be used in any order. Until the students have internalized the strategies, however, they will practice them in a prescribed order.

PREDICTING
The most important prediction should come as students read the title or a headline. Other predictions may happen when they read chapter headings or subtitles, the author of the story asks a question, or the next thing a character might do in a story.
Where can you make predictions in a story or a chapter in a textbook?

CLARIFYING
Good readers are not always fast readers. Sometimes you have to slow down and even stop to clarify or make clear what you are reading.What do you do when you come across a word you don’t know while you are reading? What do you do when you don’t understand what the text is trying to tell you?

Clarifying for Understanding

Look for little words inside big words.
Look for word parts such as bases (roots), prefixes, and suffixes.
Look for commas that follow unfamiliar words. Sometimes when a writer uses a word that may not be understood by many people, it will be explained within the context of the sentence.
Look for the clues that the writer gives to help you figure out the words so that you can keep reading. One of the most important clues are the commas that follow unfamiliar words. That comma is a signal that the author is going to define the word in the sentence.
Keep reading. The word that is confusing you may not be the word that gives meaning to the sentence. As you read, you may also get a general idea of the meaning, even though it would not be a dictionary definition.

VISUALIZATION (PICTURE IN YOUR MIND)
Good readers visualize as they read. Sometimes they must stop to make a mental picture of what they are reading in order to comprehend what the writer is trying to communicate.

ASKING TEACHER-LIKE QUESTIONS
What makes a “good” teacher-like question? You have already asked clarifying questions about parts you don’t understand. Now you should ask questions to help you understand the larger meanings of the lesson. Teacher-Like Questions are questions that can be answered from what you have read. You must be able to find the answer in the text. Good teacher-like questions are based on the information given in the text. Students should be able to ask who, what, when, where, why, and how questions.
“What kinds of questions can you think of to test your understanding of this passage?

SUMMARIZING
A summary tells the most important ideas in one or two sentences. A good summary does not include details or information that is not important.
“From what you have said, can you come up with a definition for a summary?”

Constructive/Cognitive/Practical/Behavioral
Reciprocal Teaching is a cooperative learning instructional method. Teachers foster reciprocal teaching through their belief that collaborative construction of meaning between themselves and students leads to a higher quality of learning. Thinking aloud and discussion of thoughts help in clarification and revision of thinking and learning, therefore developing cognition. Effective reciprocal teaching lessons include scaffolding, thinking aloud, using cooperative learning, and facilitating meta-cognition with each step. Groups should include no less than four and no more than six so that all students have equal opportunity to practice strategies. Interaction may occur between teacher and student or between students, and this strategy will be effective for students who are shy, inattentive, or have other individual needs that they can develop their behavioral, cognitive, constructive, and practical skills.

It addresses to Bartlett's Schema theory that memory takes the form of schema which provide a mental framework for understanding and remembering information. Schema theory mentioned in Cognitivism/Pragmatism. It also fits into the Cognitive Flexibility theory that is under Constructivism/Interpretivism. According to the theory, "the importance of constructed knowledge is the learners must be given an opportunity to develop their own representations of information in order to properly learn". This strategy addresses to Information processing with its feautures such as: "a) students are actively processing, storing and retrieving information, and b) teaching involves helping learners to develop information processing skills and apply them systematically to mastering the curriculum. Cognitive structures relate to structure of the subject matter".

Resources:
reciprocal teaching e-book
reciprocal teaching 6-8
IDKB-Models/Theories

Reciprocal Teaching Process and Sample Lesson Plan

PHASE I of Reciprocal Teaching:

THE MODEL LESSON

During Phase I, your instructor will model the entire lesson with the entire class until

the students understand the procedure that is used with the Reciprocal Teaching

strategies.

Instructor will remind students to refer to the bookmarks throughout the lesson to help them form predictions, questions, clarify words, visualize, or summarize.

Instructor will ask students to highlight any word that they do not understand or unfamilar words for them.

Instructor will write the title or subject of the lesson on the board. From this title or subject, your instructor will ask the students what you think this lesson will be about or what students know about the subject, then will write students’ predictions on the board.

Then students will have copy the lessons on handouts for the first time so that students can highlight and write on the sheet.

These strategies will be used during the process:

Clarifying: Instructor will clarify one word at a time, and guide the students to an understanding of the definitions of the words by helping them see the context clues.

Make a Picture in Your Mind: Instructor will ask the students to tell what image came to their minds as this part of the lesson was read.

Ask Teacher-Like Questions: Students will create simple comprehension questions. Use the question stems on their bookmarks as a guide, and instructor will gradually increase the thinking level as students begin to internalize this process.

Summarizing: After reading each portion of the text as students to tell what happened in one or two sentences. The goal is to get them to synthesize information and help them understand how to form main ideas.

Predicting: Instructor will ask students to predict what the next part of the passage will be about. Read aloud the next part of the lesson and repeat the process.

PHASE II of Reciprocal Teaching:

This phase has two parts:

• Whole group instruction led by student Teacher/Leaders

• Cooperative Groups.

Student Teacher/Leaders assume the roles of “teachers” for the entire class as they are monitored and coached. When the students are ready, then they can move into cooperative groups as they read lessons from assigned texts.

Instructor will pass out the task cards (question, prediction, clarifying, summary, and picture in your mind cards) to the students, then instructor will supervise and coach as the Teacher-Leaders read their parts of the passage and lead the class discussion. Teacher-Leader #1 will have 5 students who have task cards marked with a #1. Teacher-Leader #2 will have 5 students with task cards marked #2, etc. Each of the students will respond with the appropriate strategy response as the Teacher-Leader “teaches” the lesson.

On the overhead or the chalkboard, instructor will have the class participate in completing this

framed sentence for the entire lesson:

This story about begins with ________________, discusses the idea that __________________________________________________________, and

ends with ______________________________________________________.

STUDENT SCRIPT

STUDENT TEACHER #1

1. SAY: Who has Prediction Card #1? Please tell us what you think the next part of the lesson will be about.

2. SAY: Please highlight any word or phrase that you do not understand as I read this part of the lesson.

3. READ:

4. ASK: Was the prediction correct?

5. ASK: Who has Clarifying Card #1? Is there a word or phrase that you didn’t understand? If there is more than one word, we will clarify one at a time.

6. SAY: Please read the sentence that contains that word. Has anyone ever heard of ______? Look at your bookmark. Can any of those context clues help define this word?

7. ASK: Who has Make a Picture in Your Mind Card #1? Please tell us what words helped you form a visual image of this part of the lesson.

8. ASK: Who has Teacher-Like Question Card #1? Please ask a Teacher-

Like Question. Remember, a Teacher-Like Question is one that can be answered from the text.

9. ASK: Who has Summary Card #1? In one sentence, please tell us what has happened so far.

10. ASK: Who has Prediction Card #2? Please tell us what you think will happen in the next part of this lesson.

STUDENT SCRIPT

STUDENT TEACHER #2

1. SAY: Please highlight any word or phrase that you do not understand as I read this part of the lesson.

2. READ:

3. ASK: Was the prediction correct?

4. ASK: Who has Clarifying Card #2? Is there a word or phrase that you didn’t understand? If there is more than one word, we will clarify one at a time.

5. SAY: Please read the sentence that contains that word. Has anyone ever heard of ______? Look at your bookmark. Can any of those context clues help define this word?

6. ASK: Who has Make a Picture in Your Mind Card #2? Please tell us what words helped you form a visual image of this part of the lesson.

7. ASK: Who has Teacher-Like Question Card #2? Please ask a Teacher- Like Question. Remember, a Teacher-Like Question is one that can be answered from the text.

8. ASK: Who has Summary Card #2? In one sentence, please tell us what has happened so far.

9. ASK: Who has Prediction Card #3? Please tell us what you think will happen in the next part of this lesson.

Sample Lesson for the Reciprocal Teaching

Grade Level : K-6

Subject : Language Arts

Instruction: Reciprocal Teaching Model

Respect

Respect means showing regard for the worth and dignity of someone or something, being

courteous and polite, and judging all people on their merits. Respect takes three major forms: respect for oneself, respect for other people, and respect for all forms of life and the environment. One person who illustrates the meaning of respect if Bishop Desmond

Tutu.

To understand Desmond Tutu, it is important to understand something of the history of South

Africa and its system of Apartheid that existed for 350 years. In 1652, a group of Dutch settlers established a permanent settlement at the very tip of Africa. Initially, the Dutch settlers and native Africans coexisted peacefully, but as the European population grew, they became hostile toward the natives. Eventually, all the black people of South Africa were conquered and forced to live in ghettos. This was the world into which Desmond Mpilo Tutu was born on October 7, 1931 in a poor black township near Johannesburg. Like millions of other black families in South Africa, the Tutu home had no electricity or running water.

In 1950, Desmond graduated from high school and was one of the few Blacks to enter a

university. He decided to become a teacher. In 1955 he married Leah Shenxane, also a teacher, and they had four children together. That same year, the government introduced the Bantu Education Act, which severely limited the types of lessons that could be taught to Black students. Knowing that he could not tolerate teaching under this Act, Desmond turned to his faith. He decided to enter a theological college and become a priest. As he moved up within the ranks of the Anglican Church, Tutu gained international prominence for his activism. Unfortunately, Tutu was frequently misquoted and misrepresented by the government-regulated South African press. He often expressed anger over injustice, but never showed hatred for white people. In fact, he has consistently preached a message of love, peace, and reconciliation. He has strictly adhered to the non-violent protest methods of Dr. Martin Luther King. Tutu’s dedication to non-violent protest was recognized in 1984 when he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Schorr, Margaret, The Miami Herald, December, 1996.

Respect

Quiz

1. Which sentence BEST expresses the main idea of this passage?

A. Bishop Desmond Tutu was misquoted by the government.

B. Bishop Desmond Tutu is a role model of respect.

C. Bishop Desmond Tutu was a teacher of black students.

D. Bishop Desmond Tutu won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1984.

2. According to this passage, which event came LAST?

A. Bishop Tutu married Leah Shenxane.

B. Bishop Tutu decided to become a teacher.

C. Bishop Tutu entered a theological college.

D. Bishop Tutu graduated from high school.

3. What is the meaning of initially in the following phrase?

Initially, the Dutch settlers and native Africans coexisted peacefully…

A. first

B. last

C. abbreviation

D. letter which stand for a name

4. What caused Bishop Tutu to stop teaching in South Africa?

A. the Anglican Church

B. the Dutch settlers

C. the Bantu Education Act

D. the Nobel Peace Prize

5. According to the information given in this passage, how did the events in Bishop Tutu’s early life shape his actions as a national leader in his later life? Support your answer with relevant details, facts, statistics, or other information from the text.