Reciprocal Teaching (Reciprocal Reading) Strategy

Printable Prompt Cards

Teach Comprehension with these Reciprocal Teaching Prompt Cards

Reciprocal Teaching (Reciprocal Reading) Strategy:

A collection of printable teaching cards to help you implement this strategy in your classroom

Reciprocal Teaching:

Reciprocal teaching is a powerful comprehension strategy. The cornerstone of the strategy is that groups of students are guided through the steps in comprehending an information text rather than the traditional ‘seek and find’ method of ‘finding answers’. i.e. they are guided through the process of HOW to comprehend rather than practicing finding answers in the text.

Reciprocal Reading – Step One – Predicting

Reciprocal Reading Prompt Card One – Predicting

Leader: Read the next topic sentence or sub-heading and, based on that, predict what you think the next paragraph will be about.

Group: “My prediction is that the rest of the paragraph will be about …”
“Based on the topic sentence, I think the paragraph will be about … “

Reciprocal Reading – Step Two – Reading the Text

Reciprocal Reading Prompt Card Two – Reading the Text

Leader: “ Can you read the next paragraph for us please (name)?”

or

“(name) can you read up to …………”

With each new leader the group alternate between reading…

• silently
• to a partner
• to the group
• in unison

Reciprocal Teaching Prompt Card Three – Clarifying 

Reciprocal Reading Prompt Card Three – Clarifying

Leader: “ What aspects of this paragraph do you need to clarify?” (make clear)

Group Members:

“I’d like to know what the word ………. means?”
“Where is ……………………..located?”
“How is this word pronounced?”

Reading Strategy Prompt Card Four – Questioning

Reciprocal Reading Prompt Card Four – Questioning

Leader: “ In order to check if someone has fully understood this passage, what questions could you ask them? ”

Group Members:

What…?  Why…? When…? Which…? Where…? Who…? How…?
(Then the whole group answer the questions generated)

Reciprocal Teaching Prompt Card Five – Summarizing/Summarising

Reciprocal Reading Prompt Card Five – Summarizing/Summarising

Leader:

“ (name) would you please say/write a sentence or two to summarise this passage.”
“ State the main points of this paragraph please (name)”
“ What are the most important facts/pieces of information in this paragraph (name)”

NB Both the UK and US Spellings of the ‘contentious’ word on the card above are included in the download 🙂 #justincaseyoumissedit

Further Reading

Teaching Comprehension

Reciprocal Teaching at Work:
Powerful Strategies and Lessons
for Improving Reading Comprehension