What is the main focus of reciprocal teaching?

Reciprocal teaching is primarily centered around a collaborative instructional approach where students take on teaching roles to facilitate their understanding of a text. In this format, students engage in a dialogue with their peers and the teacher, guiding each other through the reading process. Key strategies employed include predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing, which help students construct meaning and develop comprehension skills.

Through this method, students benefit from the shared responsibility of teaching, allowing them to articulate their thinking processes and learn from one another. This interaction not only enhances comprehension but also promotes active learning and critical thinking. The role-switching aspect encourages greater engagement with the material as students assume accountability and leadership in their learning journey.

In contrast, the other options do not embody the core principles of reciprocal teaching. Independent work lacks the collaborative interaction that is essential in this method, standardized testing practice does not focus on comprehension strategies, and silent reading does not involve the active teaching and discussion that characterize reciprocal teaching.