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Jigsaw Text Reading

This strategy can be used to allow students to share the responsibility of reading of a text, to practice active listening, and to give students confidence.

First, the students sit in their "home groups." 
If the text is going to be split into four sections, the teacher gives each student in that home group a number from one to four. 
Then, all of the students who drew number one get together in a separate group and receive the first section of the text, the students who drew number two get the second section of the text, and so on. 
These separate groups are called "expert groups."  These students become experts in this section of the text.  
Next, the students in the expert groups discuss their section and answer certain questions about that section or complete a part of a graphic organizer based on that section.  The students in the expert groups must come to a consensus about each answer.
Finally, the expert groups disband and the students return to their home groups and share what they learned with their original group members.  These students are "teaching" their classmates about their section of the text.  
By the end of the activity, all of the students have a good understanding of all four sections of the entire text through cooperative learning.

You can watch a video from teachingchannel.org about this strategy HERE.

​You can also read an article about this strategy HERE.
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  • Emergency Aid
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  • Parents
  • For ENL teachers / Worksheets and other resources
  • Tip of the day
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  • Routine for Newcomers
  • ELL Testing Accommodations
  • Dictionaries
  • Parts of Speech
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