Ask them to identify them on paper and to give an example of each. Studies have shown that a passage of 100 words is a sufficient text for students who are still learning comprehension strategies, especially fourth-graders. Initially, teachers will find it better to go paragraph by paragraph through the passage and to lead up to reading the entire passage without stopping. At the paragraph level, students are asked to come up with one important question and one good summary sentence. At the passage level, students are asked to come up with three or four important questions and two or three ideas to support the summary.
Research suggests four to six students ought to make up each group.
Model the process yourself and go through the four strategies several times. Move on to reciprocal teaching only when most of the class understands the process. Rotate the role of teacher, so each student in the group is given the opportunity to lead. Studies have shown reciprocal teaching to be most effective when carried out over a long period of time. My research revealed that students who were taught the four reciprocal teaching strategies without being actively engaged in the process showed no gains in comprehension.