Literacy

Moray project: Reciprocal Teaching

An image of a young pupil reading with an older pupil

Buckie Associated Schools Group (ASG) undertook a literacy initiative which used reciprocal teaching approaches to improve the comprehension and close reading skills of their primary and secondary pupils.

What is reciprocal teaching?

Reciprocal teaching is a framework for teaching the skills necessary for good comprehension. Initially, the teacher acts as the facilitator - modelling the use of four key strategies to the pupils. Gradually, with teacher support, pupils’ confidence and competency will increase and adult input will decrease. The eventual aim is that the pupils will be able to work independently.

The four strategies

Competent readers subconsciously use a number of strategies to monitor and aid comprehension. Reciprocal teaching works by making four of these strategies explicit to learners:

  • Predicting
  • Questioning
  • Clarifying
  • Summarising

Why reciprocal teaching?

Before the project all primary teachers and members of the English department in the Buckie ASG had received training in reciprocal teaching strategies. It was agreed that this approach could provide a basis for developing a common language and set of strategies for close reading across the ASG.

What was involved?

Pupils are divided into small groups and one pupil acts as a 'teacher'. They lead the group through a structured dialogue discussing each of the four strategies outlined in turn.

Step 1 – 'Teacher' begins by asking group members to make predictions about what they are about to read.
Step 2 – 'Teacher' reads a small section of text to the group or pupils read the section on their own.
Step 3 – 'Teacher' facilitates the generation of questions.
Step 4 – Groups list unfamiliar words, phrases or sections of text they are unsure about and then work together to clarify the meaning of each.
Step 5 – 'Teacher' asks a pupil or pupils to summarise the piece of text that has just been read.
Step 6 – The cycle begins again. Pupils are asked again to make predictions about the next section of text before going on to read it. 

Key findings

The project yielded the following benefits:

  • Pupils’ confidence improved both in the area of comprehension and in their individual self-esteem. 
  • Older pupils have taken responsibility for helping the learning of younger pupils. 
  • Teachers are freed up to observe learning and intervene when needed. 
  • Improved levels of motivation and focus in reading. 
  • Improved metacognition about the reading process.
  • Increased pace - pupils ready to sit national assessments earlier than before. 
  • Increased challenge - range and type of text. 
  • Parents have identified where they need help with supporting reading. 
  • Pupils are engaged in learning.
  • Staff are communicating across sectors.

Future developments

The cross-age tutoring within establishments has been very successful and definitely a model that the whole ASG will be encouraged to consider in order to embed good reading comprehension practices.