"Based
on the topic sentence, I think
the paragraph will be about … "
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The
Cards
1 . Predicting - The leader asks the students to read
the topic sentence or subheading and then predict what the
rest of the paragraph will be about.
Since
the topic sentence tells what will follow you can teach the
children how to skim read at this point.
2.
Reading - This card invites the children to read up to
a certain point. I've added a bit of variety to the cards
so they can read silently, to the group, to a partner or in
unison. Just to add a bit of variety.
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3.
Clarification - This
card gives the readers the opportunity to have any unfamiliar
words, locations or pronunciations 'made clear'.
I
find the first couple of times you do this strategy the children
often won't volunteer that they don't know something. So I
pick out a word or a place and ask the group to clarify it.
If all members don't offer to answer the question, then I
talk about how the purpose of reading is to gain meaning and
if we are not gaining meaning, then we are simply 'barking
at the print'. (Oh they love that term)
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You can also teach information skills
here as well as dictionary skills and how to use an atlas.
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What...? Why...? When...?
Which...? Where...? Who...? How...?
5. "
(name) would you please say / write a sentence or two to summarise
this passage."
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4.
Questioning - I get the children to generate the questions
at this point. The questions can be answered orally or, depending
on your purpose, you might like the group to record some of
their questions and answers.
5.
Summarising - the perfect point to teach key points, note-taking
and to some extent paraphrasing.
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6. Swap Leaders and the
whole
process starts again.
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How
I use the strategy in my classroom.
Firstly I introduce the whole class to each of the skills
in the process. This can take a couple of lessons to do well.
Then
during group work I sit with a small group of children. I
bring to the group the reciprocal reading cards, multiple
copies of an INFORMATION TEXT, three different levels
of dictionaries, three atlases & paper for note taking.
I also take a laptop, Ipad or Itouch to the group and have
dictionary.com , the wikipedia.org and
Google Earth
open to aid in the 'clarification' phase. These sites provide
great opportunity to build into the sessions the areas of
website credibility and website advertising awareness.
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For
the first few sessions I am the leader, but the children are
aware that the skills demonstrated will help them work as
an independent group in the near future.
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Reciprocal
Teaching Prompt Cards -
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