Activity
Reciprocal Teaching
Reciprocal Teaching
Activity Overview
Students take turns leading discussion using four strategies: predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing, building comprehension through peer teaching.
Grade Levels
Subject Areas
Activity Types
Detailed Example
Reading Complex Informational Text (English/Science - 6th Grade)
Materials Needed
- Text divided into sections
- Role cards for each strategy
- Bookmarks with strategy prompts
- Group discussion sheets
Preparation
Select text that can be chunked into 4+ sections. Create role cards explaining each strategy. Form groups of 4 students. Model each role extensively before student-led practice.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Introduce the four roles (teach over several days before combining):
Predictor: 'Based on the title/images, I predict this will be about...'
Questioner: 'A question I have is... A test question might be...'
Clarifier: 'A confusing word/part was... I think it means...'
Summarizer: 'The main idea of this section is...'
Form groups of 4. Assign initial roles.
Group reads first text section silently.
Predictor starts: Makes prediction about next section based on what was just read.
Questioner: Poses 2-3 questions about the section (fact and inference questions).
Clarifier: Identifies confusing vocabulary or concepts, explains or asks for help.
Summarizer: States the main idea in 2-3 sentences.
Group discusses, adds to each role.
Roles rotate for next section. Continue until text is complete.
Debrief: Which role was hardest? How did this help your understanding?
Differentiation Strategies
Provide sentence stems for each role. Allow struggling readers to listen to text read aloud. Start with two roles before adding all four. For advanced groups, remove role cards once strategies are internalized.
Assessment Guidelines
Observe role execution quality. Listen for comprehension in summaries. Note which strategies students find most challenging. Track individual growth over multiple sessions.