Skills; Teaching Methods

A study examined a comparison of the effectiveness of cooperative learning in small groups with whole classroom instruction using the Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) during reading. Subjects for the 8-week study were 53 sixth-graders from 2 classes in Brooklyn, New York. The stories used all came from the same basal reader. A reading comprehension test was given each child after each story was completed. Children in cooperative learning groups read stories on their own and wrote any questions or comments in their reading log. The next day, each group met to discuss the story. Students worked in groups for approximately 4 weeks. For the next 4 weeks, the students continued to read, using the DRTA strategy, and when the story was completed the children read and answered questions about the story independently. A reading comprehension test was again given after the completion of each story. Results indicated that th