How does Reciprocal Teaching – RT3T™ support destreaming?

Julia Westera

Robyn Foster

7 Jun 2022

Streaming in New Zealand schools has been identified as a key contributor to the increasing inequity within our education system. NZ schools have been identified by international research as being among some of the most highly streamed of all the countries studied He Whakaaro: Does streaming work? A review of the evidence | Education Counts. This knowledge signals the importance of exploring new ways of working with mixed ability classes such as modernised reciprocal teaching, RT3T™. However with this comes uncertainty and many questions on how to do this well, particularly in secondary schools.

Facilitators have observed the effects that RT3T™ has had on teachers in our schools, as many share their concerns that they don’t know how to work with mixed ability classes. These teachers feel they have little understanding, strategies or resources to enable them to differentiate the curriculum in a way that meets the needs of students with a range of achievement levels within the confines of one class.

Fortunately for those schools who have PLD contracts with RTeach, their teachers are engaging with RT3T™ and learning a pedagogy that enables them to teach their students to work in collaborative mixed ability groups, developing their literacy and leadership skills as well as enhancing their content knowledge – all in a differentiated classroom setting.

RT3T™ provides teachers with essential knowledge and skills for navigating this new educational landscape,
regardless of subject area or level of schooling.

Here are 3 conversation snippets about destreaming in Bay of Plenty schools:

RT3T™, with our research and development focus should provide a considerable part of the solution to destreaming and the reduction of inequities.

– an experienced RT3T™ facilitator-coach

teachers had limited knowledge or skills around empowering their students to work in collaborative groups. When RT3T™ was outlined as providing a model and pedagogy that equips teachers with the necessary understandings and tools, she saw the connection immediately, and became excited by the possibilities

– a school leader

I find this all helpful because you have more people to share what you know and what they know, and making learning more fun and you get to communicate better, and you get a clearer picture of what everything is. It’s very helpful compared to just reading and being asked questions.

– a Year 9 Māori student

As an added bonus, RT3T™ schools, both primary and secondary, have produced measurable and observable results irrespective of achievement and year level.

How does Reciprocal Teaching – RT3T™ support destreaming?

Here are 3 conversation snippets about destreaming in Bay of Plenty schools:

Read more about destreaming