Palincsar and Brown's groundbreaking study offers effective strategies for supporting pupils who struggle with reading comprehension.
Struggling readers can significantly improve their comprehension skills by applying the strategies recommended by Palincsar and Brown. These reading researchers argue that struggling pupils require compelling didactics.
Strong readers apply this without even thinking about it, whereas weak readers must learn these skills gradually.
Palincsar and Brown invented reciprocal teaching, also known as role-changing learning, in the early 1980s, and it has since grown in popularity.
The core concept involves using modeling to demonstrate reading strategies and scaffolding with positive feedback until pupils master the skills independently.
Understanding the Concept of Reciprocal Teaching and Modeling
Proficient readers not only grasp the content but also actively monitor and assess their reading process.
They consider whether they understand everything, if their reading matches what is stated, and if the content aligns with their prior knowledge. If they encounter a conflict, they may reread or query the text.
Weak readers do not accomplish this on their own. Palincsar and Brown propose that beginners should learn from experts.
To replicate the traditional apprentice-journeyman system, the researchers created a role-changing learning approach. The study indicated that pupils are typically given a passive position, obediently following instructions without understanding their actions.
The researchers used an interactive approach with constant role-changing, resulting in the term ‘role-changing learning’.
An instructor and a struggling reader discuss the meaning of an informative book, with the latter taking an active role.
Pupils engage in four essential reading strategies: summarization, questioning, clarifying ambiguities, and making predictions.Pupils that struggle with text comprehension require effective teaching methods.
Following a successful pilot study, the researchers tested their strategy twice more with impaired readers in year 8 (12-13 years).
In the first study, Palincsar served as an expert. She worked with two pupils at a time (for a total of six pupils, including control groups). The second experiment was conducted in the classroom using their own teacher as an expert. Four teachers worked in small groups of 21 pupils.
Both studies found that pupils had average to good technical reading skills, but had significant gaps in reading comprehension (an average of 2.5 years).
For 20 days, Palincsar (study 1) and teachers (study 2) worked with kids for half an hour per day using the technique.
Even in a class of 30 pupils, role-changing learning can be effectively implemented with the help of a teaching assistant, remedial teacher or peers.
Key Principles of Reciprocal Teaching for Struggling Readers
Palincsar and Brown documented all conversations between the instructors and pupils. The researchers tested both trial participants and control groups before, during, and after the trial (immediately and eight weeks later).
The study assessed the effectiveness of the new technique in both short and long-term outcomes, as well as whether pupils applied the strategies learnt in other lessons.
The initial recordings highlighted pupils' current limitations. For instance, they posed ambiguous questions and relied solely on the text for proper answers.
The pupils provided excessively comprehensive explanations and struggled to discriminate between main and minor topics.
However, both studies showed pupils making steady growth. They improved their summaries by asking questions in their own terms and using more concise language. Eventually, nearly all kids reached the level of typical readers.
Pupils in the control groups, who received no particular attention or a different strategy, made slower improvement. They continued to fall behind.
At first, the kids demonstrated progress during the sessions. Gradually, their test scores improved as well. This indicates that they have mastered the tactics and can apply them independently.
Additionally, they demonstrated this behaviour during regular lessons involving reading informative texts.
Furthermore, the intervention had long-lasting impacts, since their performance remained consistent even after the intervention ended.
The four teachers were originally sceptical about the approach's effectiveness for kids with significant text comprehension deficits. However, they gradually became enthusiastic and realised that it worked.
After acting as experts (modelling), pupils were designated as the 'teacher'.
This individual facilitated group discussions by asking questions about the text, providing a summary, clarifying difficult portions, and predicting the next segment.
The adult teacher provided ideas, tips, and feedback, such as reminding pupils that a summary does not include specifics or suggesting questions to ask.
Teachers observed that pupils learnt a lot from one another and became less reliant on them.
Case Study: How Reciprocal Teaching Transformed a Struggling Reader
Palincsar and Brown's first study included six pupils, including Charles. At first, he had a four-year deficit in reading comprehension. In the text comprehension tests, he only received 30% right answers.
Hopeless? No, because he finished the ride with an eighty to ninety percent correct score, making him the best of the six.
On the first day, it appears that we are rehashing old ground. Charles is unable to ask any questions about the text.
The hint 'Start your question with "why"' is also ineffective. Charles only repeats it when told to do so by his boss.
On day four, Charles attempts to formulate an inquiry, but instead selects words at random from the book.
On day seven, everything is going well. The supervisor merely needs to aid him in a small way.
On day eleven, it dawns on Charles: he asks a direct query on his own initiative.
Charles' experience demonstrates that with a lot of patience, clear tips, and positive feedback, you can truly assist progress. The trick is to encourage youngsters like Charles to keep trying, rather than using days one and four to assess their abilities.
Practical Tips for Implementing Reciprocal Teaching in the Classroom
Role-alternating learning is a pedagogic technique that you can use in your classroom in a variety of ways. It can, for example, be used as a kind of collaborative learning in reading classes or other topics.
Role-switching learning can take place one-on-one, in pairs (e.g., by remedial teachers), or in groups of four or five pupils, with the teacher, teaching assistant, or pupil group member leading the discussion.
The form chosen is based on the severity of the reading difficulty or impairment.
After reading one or more paragraphs, the group leader summarises the book, asks questions, clarifies difficult portions, and asks for predictions, following Palincsar and Brown's four reading strategies. The role of group leader may change.
This strategy engages all pupils in discussing the meaning of a book, allowing them to realise that their initial reading may not be optimal. To effectively execute these tactics, teachers should model them and provide feedback to group leaders on their implementation.
Furthermore, role-changing learning is an effective remedial instructional strategy for kids who struggle with text comprehension. In that situation, ensure that you form groups with an equal number of skilled and poor readers.
For kids who have a significant disadvantage, you or the remedial teacher can best serve as an expert. You can help pupils understand material by giving them clues and tips.
As they improve their mastery of the tactics, children with a reading deficiency might take on the role of expert.
The most essential takeaway from Palincsar and Brown is that you should continue to challenge weak readers to find the meaning of a piece. Ultimately, practice makes perfect.
Key Takeaways: Empowering Pupils Through Role-Changing Learning
- Role-changing learning involves pupils increasingly taking on the role of experts.
- Challenge inexperienced readers to actively seek the meaning of a piece.
- Modeling and scaffolding assist pupils who struggle with text comprehension.
- Role-changing learning is always a joint effort.
Next up in this series: Enhancing Reading Comprehension with 'Questioning the Author' Method: Engage Your Pupils Actively
Reference
Palincsar, A. S. & Brown, A. (1984). Reciprocal teaching of comprehension-fostering and comprehension-monitoring activities.
