An exciting research-based collaborative comprehension thinking skills programme that supports literacy across the curriculum.

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‘The first step if you want to establish independent learning and enquiry across the curriculum.’

Judy Clark, Primary Advisor,
National Literacy Trust

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Reciprocal Reading

Reciprocal Reading is a successful guided reading comprehension method widely used in USA, Australia, New Zealand and more recently in UK schools. It is recommended by USA Reading Panel (2000) and UK Revised National Strategy (2006).

Reciprocal Teaching

Reciprocal Teaching is an interactive and systematic approach to teaching comprehension that helps children to develop personal understanding of any given text. It encourages interactive dialogue or discussion between teacher and learners – that once established - enables groups of readers (of mixed ability or similar levels) to explore, question and discuss the meaning of a range of text in collaborative independent groups.

Comprehension Programme

Reciprocal Reading Strategies (Palicsar and Brown, 1986)

SPEC
Children highlight main points in the text.They make links between their prior knowledge and what is implied in the text to anticipate story outcomes.They generate literal, inference, evaluation questions about the text to check they understand the author's meaning.They use context to make sense of words, phrases and concepts they do not understand.

Some Definitions

The meaning of ‘Reciprocal’ – 'Done by each to the other; given and received; due from each to each; mutual; performed, experienced, or felt by both sides: Interchangeable; complementary: expressing mutual action or relationship.'