Abstract
Reciprocal Teaching strategies implemented in elementary, middle school, high school, and college have been studied; however, there are no research studies to date that have examined Reciprocal Teaching (RT) reading strategies implemented in a preschool classroom setting. The current study aimed to address this gap in the literature through an adaptation of action research, responsive case study, and video ethnography to document children’s growing competencies with reading comprehension strategies. Children were arranged into 5 to 8 small groups and video recorded once a week over seven weeks. During the recorded sessions children were introduced to Reciprocal Teaching strategies while the teacher/researcher read a book. During the read-aloud activity, the teacher/researcher modeled RT strategies by asking reading comprehension questions. This study of the video data was used in two ways. First, it was used to document how the children engaged in reading comprehension learning during the literacy activity of storybook read-alouds. Second, the video data was used to reflect on, improve, and implement more effective teaching strategies for reading comprehension.
Findings revealed how the teacher/researcher implemented the RT strategies for children’s understanding of and engagement in reading comprehension strategies. Further, the findings also illustrated how over time the teacher/researcher modified her instructional discourse practices during RT lessons to assist the children in providing more elaborated responses to display their understanding of reading comprehension strategies. This finding informs instructional practice for teachers that may impact children’s learning during reading comprehension activities.