What Primary and Intermediate Leaders Say About Reciprocal Teaching – RT3T™
What leaders are saying about COVID absenteeism
Even during the COVID-19 year, both primary and high school leaders from low decile schools reported measurable gains with Reciprocal Teaching – RT3T™.
RT3T™ made a huge impact despite disruptions, COVID and time out of school
Shirley Hardcastle, Principal of Viscount Primary School
RT3T™ made a huge impact despite disruptions, COVID and time out of school.
What primary and intermediate leaders have said
RTeach provides strategies that foster deep thinking, problem solving and self-management
Margaret Palmer, former Principal, and Therese Bakker, Deputy Principal, of Waterlea Primary School
Reciprocal Teaching-RT3T™ has been running at Waterlea School for the past 4 years. It started with a RTeach facilitator working alongside our teachers and coaching them for the delivery of RT3T™.
The RTeach service was effective in providing continuity of professional learning opportunities through: observations, feedback, attendance at team meetings and keeping up constant communication. The programme provider was always looking for ways to improve the implementation both at the teacher training level and in the approach with students.
We have continued with the RT3T™ programme because we believe and have evidence to support it is making a positive difference for all learners and in particular our priority learners. We have noted RTeach provides strategies that foster deep thinking, problem solving and self-management. When using these strategies learners, who are decoding at a lower level, are able to engage with texts at a higher level. The flow on effect of this has meant the self-efficacy of these learners also improved. Another benefit we observed for our students was the transfer of strategies into other learning areas.
We continue with RT3T™ as it has made a positive difference to all learners in raising their skills, ability to reach expectations of the key competencies and growth in their self-esteem and confidence.
RT3T™ puts the student at the centre providing agency to which our children respond positively.
Students at Oranga School responded with enthusiasm and accelerated progress. They reported a greater sense of self-confidence and agency, and enjoyment in their learning.
Diana Peri, former principal of Oranga School
The updated Reciprocal Teaching method has many benefits for children and for teachers. For teachers, the evidence-based programme provides in-depth, responsive strategies that foster deep thinking, problem solving and self-management.
While this has been used primarily for the teaching of reading at Oranga School, the potential for using the strategies in other learning areas has been recognised.
Students at Oranga School responded with enthusiasm and accelerated progress. They reported a greater sense of self-confidence and agency, and enjoyment in their learning.
At Oranga, five Year 4 to 6 classes and their teachers participated in a BES research project with Julia Westera in 2014.