An Adventure Toward Critical Thinking: Reciprocal Teaching, Critical Questioning, and Fifth Graders

The purpose of this action-research project was to establish the strengths and limitations of a modified reciprocal-teaching approach to enhance critical questioning in students. This merged-literacy approach investigates the process of fostering more complex thinking in the target participates. The cite used for data collection was a fifth grade extended learning classroom in an urban, elementary school and student artifacts was gathered from six participants. The merging of two literacy theories was successful for maximizing a unique learning opportunity of critical inquiry. The benefits of this action-research show an enhanced ability to read with a critical perspective, critically questioning the literature, use thinking strategies and looking beyond the author's bias. Further participant benefits include the development of background knowledge, cognitive skills, critical questioning skills and using use of informational texts as catalysts for critical thinking skills. The combination of reciprocal-teaching and critical questioning accompanied by writing builds a platform for the participants to investigate literature on a more analytical level.