What does reciprocal teaching emphasize in instructional approaches?

Reciprocal teaching is an instructional approach that emphasizes the collaborative nature of learning, particularly in understanding and engaging with a text. This method involves students taking turns in leading discussions about a text, which supports active participation and ownership of the learning process. By rotating the role of the discussion leader among students, it encourages them to practice and develop important reading comprehension strategies such as predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing. This collaborative model not only enhances comprehension but also promotes critical thinking and communication skills among students.

The other choices do not align with the core principles of reciprocal teaching. For instance, having all students read at the same pace does not foster the interactive dialogue that is central to this method. Teacher-led discussions exclusively do not allow students to take on leadership roles, which are crucial for their development in understanding texts. Lastly, focusing only on comprehension questions limits the breadth of skills that reciprocal teaching aims to cultivate, as it encompasses a wider range of discussion strategies. Thus, the emphasis on students guiding the conversation about the text is what makes reciprocal teaching a distinct and effective approach.