Hands-On Reciprocal Teaching: A Comprehension Technique Author: Kelley Stricklin Kelsey Anderson Justin Goetschius Rick Odom

Author of the Article Kelley Stricklin, Ph.D. Associate Professor, University of Southern Mississippi, Long Beach Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education EDUCATION Ed.D. Curriculum and Instruction, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL, 2004 Ed.S. Curriculum and Instruction, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL, 2002 M.A. Elementary Education, Nova University, Melbourne, FL B.A. Elementary Education, University of Southern Mississippi, Long Beach, MS PUBLICATIONS “TLC: Teachers Living, Leading and Learning in Their Community.” AACTE ELearn World Journal, Nov, Teaching Reading using Differentiated Instruction. Revised prospectus sent to Prentice Hall, Inc. July, “Think Tac Toe: A Motivating Comprehension Strategy.” The Reading Teacher, April, 2006.

Annemarie Sullivan Palincsar is the Jean and Charles Walgreen Jr. Chair of Reading and Literacy and a teacher educator in Educational Studies at the University of Michigan. A short summary of her accomplishments can be found at: Ann Brown, a distinguished member of the Berkley Graduate School of Education, died after a short illness on June 4, 1999 at the age of 56. She held the Evelyn Lois Corey Chair in Instructional Science. A short summary of her accomplishments can be found at : &toc.depth=1&toc.id=&brand=calispherehttp://content.cdlib.org/view?docId=hb1r29n709;NAAN=13030&doc.view=frames&chunk.id=div00007 &toc.depth=1&toc.id=&brand=calisphere Authors of the Strategy

Overview Reciprocal Teaching technique created by Palinscar and Brown (1986) Uses the following four strategies to increase reading comprehension (Also known as the Fab Four): – Predicting: Students predict before reading – Clarifying: Stop and clarify unknown words or ideas during reading – Questioning : Ask questions during and after reading to check for understanding – Summarizing: Summarize the paragraph, chapter, article after reading. “When introducing students to reciprocal teaching, it is crucial to make an impact. The goal is to have students remember the Fab Four, so they can use the strategies independently.” (Stricklin, 2011)

Article Source/Relevance Stricklin, K. (2011). Hands-On Reciprocal Teaching: A Comprehension Technique, The Reading Teacher, 64(8), doi /RT The Reading Teacher is one of three journals published on behalf of the International Reading Association. It covers practical teaching ideas, research, and professional development for teachers of children under age 12. So, this article was written for teachers who would like to know what the reciprocal teaching strategy is, and ways to implement the 4 steps/phases. This article is relevant to SPED 510 because? – This article was published in 2011, and can be considered current. – This research-based teaching strategy is effective in helping students that have a hard time comprehending what they are reading.

Teacher Responsibilities Teachers have three primary responsibilities during a reciprocal teaching session (Stricklin, 2011): – Before reading, activate prior knowledge of words or ideas students will encounter during reading – During reading, monitor, guide and encourage individuals or groups in their use of the 4 strategies. – After reading, encourage student reflection and as students to share which strategy helped them the most and why.

Visual and Hands-on Tools Charts Bookmarks Paper Plate Dials Props Sticky Notes Sentence Starters Discussion Strategies Partner Sharing Response Cards Face-to-Face Passing Notes Documentation Four Door Chart Sequencing Strips A “Clear” Summary Question Booklets 1, 2, 3, 4 Take Action!! Decide how you will model strategy Gather props and materials Explain & Activate Break students into groups of four Monitor and guide students. After reading, discuss which Fab Four helped them the most and why Teacher Reflection

Benefits of Reciprocal Teaching (RT) RT is appropriate for use with both fiction and nonfiction and with any grade level. It works well with standardized testing reading prep passages and with literature circles (Latendresse, 2004). When teachers actively use RT in most readings required of students, reading levels increase one or two grade levels in three to six months (Oczkus, 2005; Sporer, Brunstein, & Kieschke, 2009). ELL students increase vocab knowledge and comprehension (Garcia, Jensen, & Scribner, 2009) Students who have disabilities show marked success with this strategy instruction (Alfassi, Weiss, & Lifshitz, 2009; Takala, 2006). Struggling and disenchanted readers engage in reading (Goodman, 2005). Advanced and gifted students increase knowledge level and comprehension (Ash, 2005). An added benefit of making RT fun and hands-on is students’ enjoyment.

References Stricklin, K. (2011). Hands-On Reciprocal Teaching: A Comprehension Technique, The Reading Teacher, 64(8), doi /RT Slide 7 graphics retrieved from Alfassi, M., Weiss, I., & Lifshitz, H. (2009). The efficacy of reciprocal teaching in fostering the reading literacy of students with intellectual disabilities. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 24(3), 291–305. doi: / Ash, G.E. (2005). What did Abigail mean? Educational Leadership, 63(2), 36–41. García, E.E., Jensen, B.T., & Scribner, K.P. (2009). The demographic imperative. Educational Leadership, 66(7), 8–13. Goodman, A. (2005). The middle school high five: Strategies can triumph. Voices From the Middle, 13(2), 12–19. Latendresse, C. (2004). Literature circles: Meeting reading standards, making personal connections, and appreciating other interpretations. Middle School Journal, 35(3), 13–20. Oczkus, L.D. (2005). Reciprocal teaching strategies at work: Improving reading comprehension, grades 2–6 [DVD]. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. Palincsar, A.S., & Brown, A.L. (1986). Interactive teaching to promote independent learning from text. The Reading Teacher, 39(8), 771–777. Spörer, N., Brunstein, J.C., & Kieschke, U. (2009). Improving students’ reading comprehension skills: Effects of strategy instruction and reciprocal teaching. Learning and Instruction, 19(3), 272–286. doi: /j.learninstruc Takala, M. (2006). The effects of reciprocal teaching on reading comprehension in mainstream and special (SLI) education. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 50(5), 559–576. doi: /

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