Transcript
Shira Lubliner:
Okay. Could I have group one please come up to the table.
Narrator:
At Frank Love Elementary school reading expert Shira Lubliner shows off a technique called reciprocal teaching that’s designed to improve reading comprehension.
Shira Lubliner:
Tap, tap. Tap, tap. A sea otter lies on her back in the water.
Narrator:
The goal of reciprocal teaching is to prepare students to run their own discussion, taking turns as leaders. But first, Ms. Lubliner shows them how to guide a conversation about a book.
Shira Lubliner:
See, my first job is to ask a question, and I’m going to try and ask an important main idea question that starts with a question word. Let’s see. What does the sea otter do to prepare lunch?
Dr. Louisa Moats:
There is no replacement for a teacher who can generate a good discussion and get kids to really ponder what they’ve read in the whys and wherefores and connect those meanings to their own lives.
Shira Lubliner:
Well, I’m going to predict that we’re going to learn some more about what sea otters eat.
Narrator:
Now it’s time for the kids to lead their own discussion with a little help from Ms. Lubliner.
Student 1:
A sign of danger.
Narrator:
The kids begin with a first of four clear steps: asking a question …
Student 2:
What do sea otters have to be careful of?
Narrator:
The next step is clarifying the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Student 1:
“Prefer.”
Student 3:
It means somebody likes something better than they like something else.
Student 1:
“Afloat.” Jesse?
Jesse:
Afloat means a little bit above the water and they’re floating on the water, not just under it or over.
Narrator:
It. The next phase of reciprocal teaching is summarizing, finding the main idea.
Student 2:
Sea otters have a lot of enemies, so they have to be careful of eagles, white, I mean sharks, and fishermen.
Narrator:
The final step is prediction.
Student 1:
I predict that we’re learn more about otters. In this story.
Narrator:
Reciprocal teaching promotes a give and take between teachers and students that achieves the ultimate purpose of reading. Finding the meaning,
Major funding for Reading Rockets comes from the United States Department of Education, office of Special Education Programs. For author interviews, recommended reading lists, and information about teaching kids to read, please visit us online at www.ReadingRockets.org.
A Seattle school uses a technique called Reciprocal Teaching that’s designed to improve reading comprehension. Watch as it is effectively implemented in the classroom.