eMysteries Toolkit

The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. [Project Number: 2019-1-DE03-KA201-060127] 29 Cooperative Learning Cooperative learning refers to the learning which takes place when students work in small groups in which they help one another meet individual and/or group goals. It is based on the principle that teachers and students can work together in order to make the classroom a better environment for learning and working. Cooperation should be a carefully planned process so that the desired results can be achieved. During cooperative learning students can become empowered in decision making, undertaking leadership roles, acquiring social and linguistic skills, becoming peer teachers, supporting each other, and negotiating. Shared Reading During activities that require students to read in order to gain the necessary knowledge for eventual success, it is considered important for teachers to read aloud to students. A teacher who reads good stories to students can be a great example of how reading is conducted. Such reading can also take place between students. Shared reading can be incorporated in the classroom on an ongoing basis, if not daily. It can involve riddles, detective short stories, excerpts from novels, and news involving police and detective work which can be more interesting to students. Shared reading offers lots of benefits to teaching: it keeps students’ interest high; it allows them to develop good reading skills students can benefit from one another by reading together and stories provide teachers with great opportunities for complimentary learning activities. Peer support Peer support is an effective tool to improve reading and writing achievement as well as increases engagement in reading related tasks. Reading or writing with peer support groups improves reading, speaking and writing skills and overall performance. Peer support can also be used as a feedback strategy on reading and writing tasks through the use of ‘critical friends’ that give feedback. Role-Playing During a role-play, a story is presented, and students take the roles of participants in acting out what might typically happen. In this regard, students discuss dilemmas, options, choices, and opinions. Role-play activities can