Unit 2: Deep Dive into Predicting and Questioning
Learning Objectives
After this unit, students will be able to:
Demonstrate how to model the predicting and questioning strategies using think-aloud techniques. Apply the predicting and questioning strategies in guided reading activities.
Reflect on how predicting and questioning strategies support comprehension and engagement in reading.
Predicting Strategy
The first strategy in reciprocal teaching is predicting, which seems straightforward: Students guess what the test is about. However, it requires more. Readers should use evidence from the text (titles, headings, visuals, and text features) along with their background knowledge to make logical predictions. Depending on whether the text is fiction or nonfiction, the information students take in from the text may be slightly different. Regardless of the genre of the book, students should first determine the author's purpose so that they can make stronger predictions. As students take in information from the text and use their background knowledge, predictions should use the word because they should support their prediction with evidence.
Examples of phrases that students could use when predicting are:
- I think... because...
- I'll bet... because...
- I wonder if... because...
- I imagine... because...
- I predict... because...
- I suppose... because...
Though this strategy is often used before reading, it is essential to stop periodically to allow students to monitor their predictions, assess whether
they are correct, adjust them as needed, and make new predictions based on the information they have learned. The predicting strategy helps students "set a purpose for reading and monitor their reading comprehension" (Oczkus, 2020, p. 24).
Questioning Strategy
The questioning strategy allows students to pause while reading and address questions that arise. It helps students actively engage with a text and improve their comprehension. The strategy involves students generating and asking questions about the text to deepen their understanding and focus on important details. The types of questions that students ask may be text-dependent, questions that require inferring, or questions they have for the author. Through modeling and think-alouds (discussed in the next section of this unit), the teacher should demonstrate how to formulate questions based on the main ideas of the text that allow students to think deeper about what is being read.
Question stems that students can use are:
- I wonder...?
- Who...?
- What...?
- Where...?
- When...?
- Why...?
- How...?
- What if...?
- Why do you think...?
- What do you think...?
The questioning strategy in reciprocal teaching offers many
benefits, including helping students improve their reading comprehension and critical thinking. Turning passive reading into an active process encourages students to dive deeper into texts, focusing on key ideas, supporting details, and structure to better understand what they are reading. Asking and answering questions helps students think critically and reflect on their understanding.
How to Introduce Predicting and Questioning
Reciprocal teaching calls for a gradual release, where teachers model and think aloud to demonstrate the strategy, followed by teachers and students practicing cooperatively with feedback given, and ends with independent practice and reflection. It is often known as "I do, we do, you do." To make gradual release successful, it involves:
- The teacher uses think-alouds.
- Students collaboratively working in groups to practice. The teacher providing the right amount of scaffolding.
- Opportunities for metacognition, where students and teachers discuss the strategy steps and what was helpful.
Scaffolding
As students are gradually released, teachers need to know what support their students need to access the material. Some supports often given during reciprocal teaching are posters, props, hand motions, and bookmarks. These provide students with sentence stems and relevant language that they need to practice reciprocal teaching strategies successfully.
Places where you can find reciprocal teaching scaffolds are:
- TPT (https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/browse?search=reciprocal%20teaching): Many sellers have a variety of posters, bookmarks, and worksheets to help support learners during reciprocal teaching.
- TeachStarter (https://www.teachstarter.com/us/search/Reciprocal%20Teaching%20/): This website has a bookmark, posters, and role cards for each strategy
- Reciprocal Teaching at Work: Powerful Strategies and Lessons for Improving Reading Comprehension (3rd Edition) by Lori D. Oczkus (https://www.amazon.com/Reciprocal-Teaching-W ork-Strategies-Comprehension-dp-1416625992/dp/1416625992/ref=dp_ob_title_bk): This book includes bookmarks, posters, icons, and sentence starters throughout and in the appendixes.
Think-Aloud
The think-aloud teaching strategy involves the teacher verbalizing their thoughts, showing what a good reader does. It is a practical and effective way to model thinking processes and encourage students to reflect independently. Teachers help students understand how to approach complex tasks like reading, problem-solving, and writing by talking through their thoughts. This approach makes learning strategies more visible, showing students how to tackle challenges and think critically. Think- alouds are especially helpful for diverse learners, offering clear examples of how to break tasks into manageable steps. They also boost engagement by inviting students to see the reasoning behind decisions and encouraging active participation.
The video below shows the difference between modeling and a think-aloud.
The two links below will take you to YouTube videos of teachers demonstrating how to use the think- aloud strategy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awO80Qb6wu8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbZyJu3Xftw
Collaboration
Collaboration and cooperative learning are important parts of reciprocal teaching, which is intended to be discussion-based. Students can work with others through turn-and-talks, group discussions, and partner activities. This interactive process allows students to learn from each other’s insights, develop critical thinking skills, and deepen their understanding of the text. Additionally, collaboration provides a supportive environment where students can build confidence, refine their communication skills, and gradually take ownership of their learning as the teacher transitions from leader to facilitator.
Collaboration strategies:
- Model collaboration: As this is a gradual release, part of modeling the process to students should demonstrate how to guide discussions and build on peer input before transitioning to student-led collaboration.
- Set group norms: Teach students how to listen to their peers, contribute ideas, and provide feedback. Then, make sure to explain that everyone participates and respects each other's ideas.
- Define roles: Assign students a role (predictor, questioner, clarifier, or summarizer) to guide participation and rotate the roles regularly.
- Structured groups: Create groups of 3-5 students with diverse abilities and backgrounds. Provide groups with sentence stems to allow all students the ability to participate.
- Encourage reflection: Have groups think about what went well, what did not, and what they can do next time to improve their discussions.
Metacognition
Metacognition is an essential aspect of reciprocal teaching. It empowers students to become aware of and regulate their thinking processes during reading. This self-awareness enables them to identify when they are confused and apply the appropriate strategies to resolve misunderstandings, fostering greater independence and confidence as readers. Furthermore, metacognition encourages students to reflect on their progress, set goals for improvement, and take an active role in their learning.
Beginning with prediction allows students to think about what they already know and how that can help them understand the text they are reading, ending with a discussion of how the various strategies helped them the most during the lesson and explaining why allows students to think about how the strategy aided them in their comprehension. Ultimately, students should be thinking about their thinking and using the strategies throughout their reading, but this needs to be modeled and prompted to begin. Teachers can ask, "Which strategy did they use the most?" and "How did the strategy help them?" In the beginning, students may not be able to answer how the strategy helped them, which the teacher will answer or guide. Over time, through modeling and prompting, students will get the hang of justifying how the strategies helped them.
Watch a Class Using Predicting and Questioning
These videos (two parts of a lesson) show a teacher reviewing reciprocal teaching and a small group using the strategies. As you watch, focus on the students' use of predicting and questioning strategies and how the teacher supports the students.
Part 1:
Part 2:
What do you notice about the student-led discussion?
What supports did the teacher give?
How did students frame their response to using the predicting and questioning strategies?
Try it Out!
Use the text Ada Twist: Scientist by Andrea Beaty (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAmEQ2deJ QQ) to practice using the predicting and questioning sentence stems (https://wpvip.edutopia.org/wp- content/uploads/2023/07/Reciprocal-Teaching-Sentence-Stems.pdf).
- How did predictions help you to understand what you were reading?
- What question helped you the most?
Unit Review Questions
Answer the following unit review questions on Google Forms. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F AIpQLSevTlNbNwUnJXMzItRRWh6pYm08a7ePnaj8qERJzW4q9mhTug/viewform?usp=header)
- What is the purpose of the predicting strategy in reciprocal teaching?
- How does the questioning strategy help students engage with a text?
- Why is modeling through think-aloud an effective way to teach predicting and questioning?
Reflection Questions
Answer the following reflection questions on Padlet (https://padlet.com/hkknapp2/unit-2-reflection- questions-ljc97g3uniezk4dl).
- What did you find most valuable or challenging about practicing the predicting and questioning strategies?
- What types of texts or classroom activities would work best for introducing these strategies?
- What challenges might students encounter when using these strategies, and how can you help them overcome them?
Looking Forward
In Unit 3: Clarifying and Summarizing Strategies, participants will focus on the clarifying and summarizing strategies, exploring how to help students identify and resolve confusing text parts while determining key ideas.
References
Baker, J., & Emerson, L. M. (2014). Reciprocal teaching: A reading comprehension package. William & Mary School of Education, Teaching and Technology Assistance Center. Retrieved December 7, 2024, from
https://education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/resources/articles/teachtechnique/reciprocalteaching/
Bauld, A. (2023, January 24). The four steps of reciprocal teaching. XQ Institute. Retrieved December 7, 2024, from https://xqsuperschool.org/education-policy/reciprocal-teaching-strategies- for-high-school/
Oczkus, L. D. (2018). Reciprocal teaching at work: Powerful strategies and lessons for improving reading comprehension (3rd ed.). ASCD.
Tales From a Very Busy Teacher. (2023, January 24). How to use reciprocal teaching in your classroom. Retrieved December 7, 2024, from https://www.talesfromaverybusyteacher.com/2023/01/how-to-use-reciprocal-teaching-in-your- classroom.html
Palincsar, A. S., & Brown, A. L. (1984). Reciprocal teaching of comprehension-fostering and monitoring activities. Cognition and Instruction, 1(2), 117–175. https://doi.org/10.1207/s1532690xci0102_1
Vaughn, S., Boardman, A., & Klingner, J. K. (2024). Teaching reading comprehension to students with learning difficulties (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.