What does reciprocal teaching involve?

Reciprocal teaching is an instructional strategy designed to improve students' reading comprehension through a collaborative learning process. In this approach, students take on the role of 'teachers' in small group sessions. This allows them to practice and refine their comprehension skills by engaging in discussions about a text, specifically by asking questions, summarizing information, clarifying misunderstandings, and predicting outcomes.

The collaborative nature of reciprocal teaching encourages students to articulate their thoughts, listen to their peers, and build a deeper understanding of the material together. This interaction fosters a more active learning environment, where students are not just passive recipients of information but are engaged participants in the learning process.

In contrast, the other options do not align with the essence of reciprocal teaching. Writing essays involves a different skill set focused on composition and organization rather than comprehension skills. Independent reading lacks the interactive and cooperative aspects central to reciprocal teaching. Lecturing in large groups emphasizes direct instruction from the teacher without fostering the collaborative dialogue that is crucial in reciprocal teaching.