Reading Relay

See how it works

At a glance

Time in class

15–20 minutes

Prep

One-time: print and cut the role cards (linked below). Each time: split a text into 4 sections (2 minutes).

Materials

Role cards, a text

Grouping

Groups of 4

Use it when

Students read any text with substance: a chapter, article or primary source

Why it works

Strong readers summarize, question, clarify and predict without thinking about it. Giving each of these a role makes the invisible habits visible, and rotating roles means every student practices all four. This approach, called reciprocal teaching, has decades of research behind it.

1. Model once5 minutes, first time onlyRead a paragraph aloud and do all four roles yourself, naming each one.
2. Set up groups1 minuteHand each group a set of role cards.“Read the card you got. That’s your job for the first section.”
3. Read section 13 minutesEveryone reads silently or one student reads aloud.
4. Run the roles2–3 minutesSummarizer, then Questioner, then Clarifier, then Predictor. Each uses the sentence starter on the card.
5. Pass the baton10 seconds“Pass your card to the left.”Repeat for each section.
6. Close2 minutesEach group shares its best question with the class.

See it in action

Watch out for

• Summaries that retell everything: limit it to two sentences.
• Questions with one-word answers: ask the Questioner for one “why” or “how” question.
• Groups racing ahead: signal each new section as a whole class at first.

Level up

• Drop the role cards and see if groups cover all four on their own.
• Use a harder text once roles feel automatic.

Make it work for everyone

• Multilingual learners: the sentence starters on each card do the heavy lifting; add home-language versions if you can.
• IEP and 504 supports: offer an audio version of the text or let a partner read aloud.
• Early finishers: write a fifth role, such as Connector.

Tech option

Groups record their role responses in a shared doc with one heading per section.

Resources