About this course

This course is about changing the perception of educators and empowering them with knowledge and skills on HOW to teach reading comprehension strategies differently. The focus of the course will be on Reciprocal Teaching as an evidence-based instructional approach designed to enhance reading comprehension by actively engaging learners in four key strategies: predicting, clarifying, questioning, and summarising. This takes place in the form of a dialogue between teachers and children regarding segments of the text. Eventually, it allows learners to become the "teachers" in small groups and this dialogue is described as reciprocal.

Course Developer:

Mitchell Messina is an education consultant from the Western Cape in South Africa. He has been in education for more than 25 years - as a teacher, principal, and circuit manager. Currently, he is doing professional development training in schools to help improve the quality of teaching and learning. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Education (cum laude) degree. In March 2023 he graduated with his Ph.D. (Curriculum Studies) at the University of Stellenbosch and the title of his dissertation was: "Utilising Choice Theory and Reciprocal Teaching to promote the TEACHING of reading comprehension in the Intermediate Phase (Grades 4 - 6)."

Dr. Mitchell Messina

Trainer / Course Developer

Testimonials

“The Reciprocal Teaching workshop was an excellent opportunity for the teachers of my circuit to grow professionally. What was truly outstanding about the session was the focus on the 4 key strategies for teaching reading comprehension. Teachers enjoyed the clear and exciting methodology used by Mitchell Messina.”

Circuit Manager: Metro South ED, Western Cape Education Department

Thandi Jaftha

“Mitchell Messina’s passion for reading and his concern about South Africa’s alarming illiteracy rate, especially the fact that eight out of every ten Grade 4’s, are unable to read with understanding, resonated with me. His Reciprocal Teaching Training, in my humble view, is “a must for every teacher”, and the “silver bullet”, if ever there is such a thing, that I have been searching for years. I was mesmerised by the clear, yet simple strategies one can employ, to develop and deepen a child’s understanding through reading. ”

Former principal of Kannemeyer Primary School, Grassy Park, Cape Town

Ridwan Samodien

FAQ

  • How will this course help me as an educator?

    It will focus on changing the HOW of teaching reading comprehension. You will be empowered with knowledge and skills to enable your learners to read for meaning.

  • What is reciprocal teaching?

    Reciprocal teaching is an evidence-based approach and refers to an instructional, cognitive activity that takes place in the form of a dialogue between teachers and learners. It is a cooperative learning strategy that aims to improve learners' reading comprehension skills, with four components: predicting, questioning, clarifying and summarising.

  • What makes this approach different?

    The explicit teaching and modelling of the four reading comprehension strategies (predicting, questioning, clarifying and summarising) to learners will make this approach different and unique.

  • I have used Predicting and Clarifying in the past and it did not work.

    This time all 4 strategies: Predicting, Clarifying, Questioning, and Summarising will be explicitly taught and demonstrated to learners.

AFRIKAANS or ENGLISH

Approximately R180 (for South Africans)