Reciprocal Teaching Tips

Reciprocal teaching (Palinscar and Brown, 1984) draws on four key thinking moves. In this tool, we break down the thinking moves the “teacher” actions to help you make reciprocal teaching a regular part of your instruction. In this document, you’ll find a step-by-step process for modeling this reciprocal teaching for your students, setting them up for success to learn with and from each other as readers. (From Shift 1 in Shifting the Balance; 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Upper Elementary Classroom.)