Group Reading Comprehension
I cannot wait to use this activity with my students next time I am teaching! In this activity designed by D. Fisher, N. Frey and S. Everlove (2009), students work together to achieve a task-related goal. The group task is to reach an understanding of a text, and each of the four group members is assigned a role that matches a comprehension strategy: generating questions, summarizing content, clarifying key points, and making predictions about what the author will discuss next. Based on their assigned or chosen roles, students contribute to constructing meaning of the text by discussing it from different perspectives. It will become obvious to students that the participation of all group members is essential in order for them to do the task successfully.
I haven't used this activity just yet, but I look forward to trying it out with my Year 11 Psychology students when reading about a topic from a textbook or an internet article. Students first read the text individually and then they use their assigned roles in the subsequent group discussion. The following are the roles given to each group:
Questioner
Asks a question that can be answered in the text or asks an opinion question. Shows their team members where to find answers.
Predictor
Tells group members what he/she thinks the author will talk about in the next section.
Clarifier
Asks if anyone got stuck on a word or an idea. Helps their team members by using resources, e.g. rereading, using dictionary, asking help from the teacher.
Summarizer
Tells group members the main idea of the passage and the important supporting details.
I cannot wait to use this activity with my students next time I am teaching! In this activity designed by D. Fisher, N. Frey and S. Everlove (2009), students work together to achieve a task-related goal. The group task is to reach an understanding of a text, and each of the four group members is assigned a role that matches a comprehension strategy: generating questions, summarizing content, clarifying key points, and making predictions about what the author will discuss next. Based on their assigned or chosen roles, students contribute to constructing meaning of the text by discussing it from different perspectives. It will become obvious to students that the participation of all group members is essential in order for them to do the task successfully.
I haven't used this activity just yet, but I look forward to trying it out with my Year 11 Psychology students when reading about a topic from a textbook or an internet article. Students first read the text individually and then they use their assigned roles in the subsequent group discussion. The following are the roles given to each group:
Questioner
Asks a question that can be answered in the text or asks an opinion question. Shows their team members where to find answers.
Predictor
Tells group members what he/she thinks the author will talk about in the next section.
Clarifier
Asks if anyone got stuck on a word or an idea. Helps their team members by using resources, e.g. rereading, using dictionary, asking help from the teacher.
Summarizer
Tells group members the main idea of the passage and the important supporting details.
Cooperative learning principles used:
Positive Interdependence - fostered by student-led reciprocal teaching
Face-to-Face Promotive Interaction - peer-led discussions, exchange of ideas
Individual Accountability - roles assigned to students
Social Skills - sharing, active listening, asking questions, negotiation, respectful disagreeing, positive tracking, group summarizing
Group Processing - role of the 'clarifier', group work evaluation sheet
Meaningful Task - a text that is either challenging or interesting to students, or both
Positive Interdependence - fostered by student-led reciprocal teaching
Face-to-Face Promotive Interaction - peer-led discussions, exchange of ideas
Individual Accountability - roles assigned to students
Social Skills - sharing, active listening, asking questions, negotiation, respectful disagreeing, positive tracking, group summarizing
Group Processing - role of the 'clarifier', group work evaluation sheet
Meaningful Task - a text that is either challenging or interesting to students, or both