Trouble-Shooting Kagan: Getting Cooperative Learning to be Cooperative

By Heather Pfrunder, M.A.Ed          SDC Teacher and Education Specialist

December 30, 2021

Watching Kagan strategies in action one can’t help but be excited at the level of student engagement.  Student responses which exude inactive reflection and minimal regurgitation transform into animated critical thinking.  The brain science and research behind Kagan strategies is impressive and exciting: it takes in account the varied ways our brain is engaged and uses structures and systems to ensure optimal learning.  Through the practice of collaborative learning, the brain simultaneously is engaged in multiple parts. The social structures form an emotionally safe learning environment, often while nourishing the brain through motion. You could spend a college semester learning all the facets to Kagan and the brain research behind each minute component for it’s cooperative learning structures. However, teachers with fledgling Kagan experience often are encouraged to simply “start with the Robins.” Kinda Techy Teachers on TPT has a great free resource to access visual explanations and how to use the top 5 Robin Structures.

 Click Here for a Free Resource!

Example of a “Robin” Structure in the free TPT

Resource linked above.

This way teachers and students learn some of the basic structures and can apply them to any subject matter.  It is not the content that is being changed, rather the format of the lesson.  For many teachers the quick diagram of expectations found in the Kagan flip book is simple enough to function for many of their students.

  

Flip Book page example.

Colleague Randi Muehlen describes many wonderful ways to implement Kagan in her post Kids Love to Talk. However, if we are teaching ALL students, and “all means all,” chances are you have had a student (or three) who are challenged to cooperatively work in cooperative learning groups. In reflection, this challenge happens for several reasons: social skill deficits, academic skill deficits, or a combination of both represented by cognition challenges. So here we go again, my teacher friends!  A list of shortcuts, tips, and printable visual aids to address Kagan challenges is headed your way!  Because honestly, the learning pay-off is so very worth it!

1.Social Skills: In trouble shooting social skills challenges (i.e. silliness, off-task behavior, bullying, shyness…) there are commonalities among strategies to address the different kinds of social skill deficits. Modeling, praise, team reflection, and purposeful team role assignments can shape mal-adaptive behaviors into behaviors that are productive and helpful team-building.  To address the needs of all students you may find yourself rotating between strategies to give all unique students a chance to exercise growth in an area of social skills development. Chapter 11 of the Kagan book outlines Social Skills challenges, solutions, and suggested structures and feedback.  Here is a condensed and shortened list of challenges and solutions for your reference:

 Kagan Social Skills Solutions. Click here!

Social skills are a major component to cooperative learning.  However, often they are a way to cover up another challenge: academic skill deficits.

2.Academic Skill Deficit: In this area there are two key take-aways to address supporting students that may need more scaffolding in order to actively participate with their peers. The first is relatively simple: do your students understand the concepts that they are learning?  Are they able to use key vocabulary in discussions?  For students with unique learning needs this may mean that they may need to use notes with how-to steps and examples or simple vocabulary sheets with visuals and/or sentence frames.  Below are some examples of content vocabulary.

Top: More descriptive vocabulary with visuals to aid in conversation

 for mid-need learners -found on TPT American Revolution Word Vocab.

Bottom: Simple sorting and matching vocabulary for collaboration activities 

for higher-need/less verbal learners - found on TPT water cycle bingo.

The second scaffold has to do with grouping and “Positive Interdependence.” (This is the “P” in the Kagan acronym “PIES” standing for Positive Interdependence, Individual Accountability, Equal Participation, and Simultaneous Interaction.)  How we set up individuals in groups can either benefit or challenge academic growth. Strong interdependence means that each member of the group is needed for the task to be completed.  This takes careful structuring of both the task instructions (ensuring that each member of the group is building on each other’s contributions) and the careful structuring of groups.  For example, the highest achieving learner typically should not be paired with the lowest achieving learner.  Instead, group your students into 4 groups: high, high-medium, medium-low, and low.  Keep teams within 1-2 levels within their range and assign roles based on strengths and/or needs.  Number and group roles or strengths within numbers 1-4, so that you can make instructional decisions which will work for both the individual and the team.  If individual growth is not happening at the rate you were hoping for and you have adjusted strategies based on challenges, it may be time to mix up groups.

Left: Colorful Crayon Creations has this Kagan structure mat free.  

Right: Students pictured here are working in Kagan Groups. 

Their roles correspond with their numbers.

Kagan Mat Free! Click here!

3.Cognition Challenges:  As a teacher who is charged with the teaching of students with unique learning needs, Kagan can seem daunting.  It is skill upon skill that needs to be taught before groups even come close to true cooperative learning.  For this I have found that starting with simple social skills activities paired with specific structures and visuals create better successes. Think about some of our SEL lessons where we practice celebrating and sharing as individuals.  A simple practice of “Find Someone Who…” is a fun way to practice communication skills (click the link below for the resource from True Little Teacher on TPT).  I would initially have students practice this while seated with a “Face Partner,” but would work towards having students walk and find a friend within a specified area of the classroom (painters tape on the floor is fantastic for setting visual boundaries).

Someone Who Kagan Resource for Unique Learners

Other additional resources for Kagan really have to do with setting expectations and teaching the specific structures.  What does expected cooperative learning look like?  While Kagan uses structures and processes to facilitate learning, it prefers the flexibility of original thought. Afterall, it is the purpose is critical thinking.  However, for learners with higher levels of challenge, processes and expectations need to be specifically outlined for them. To facilitate this I have created a special resource.

Click Here for Adapted Kagan Strategies, Free!!

Being on the look out for what is working (or not) and why is second nature to educators. Simple adjustments will ensure the positive impact of both social and academic learning with Kagan. Until next time, wishing you lots of cooperative learning joy!!

Like what you read? Join me in upcoming blog posts where I continue to put these strategies into place and share resources!

Kagan, S., & Kagan, M. (2015) Kagan Cooperative Learning. Kagan Publishing.

Diggin Deeper into RACES Writing

So you've got the "RACES routine" down, and your students can recite each letter in the acronym and its meaning by heart, yet the writing they're producing is still sub par.  What is the issue? Where is the disconnect? If the students know the process, why aren't they producing successful constructive responses? Well good news, I have answers for you! :-) 

(You can read my previous blog post on RACES for an introduction of the process and routine.  Click here: RACES writing overview)

"I haven't failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" - Thomas Edison

 If you've been teaching your students how to write a constructed response paragraph using the RACES writing process, I'm sure you have noticed that the HARDEST parts for students to do successfully are the "C" (Cite the text), and "E" (Explain the text evidence) components. You might notice that they can cite the text but that it often has nothing to do with their "A" (Answer- main idea), and/or that when they "Explain" their text citation that they're not actually explaining anything at all and instead just repeating what they already stated in their "A."
I spend a good deal of time the first several months of the school year focusing on each individual component of RACES.  This is NECESSARY in order for them to eventually be successful on their own.  Once they have built a deep understanding of each individual component, their writing will start to improve and they will be successful in completing a constructed response paragraph.  It's one of those "go slow to go fast" things.  If you really break the process down and spend a lot of time doing so, you will be so thankful when you see your students start to excel!  

Thorough implementation of this RACES structure not only enhances the students' writing, but also GREATLY improves their reading comprehension skills as well.  The kids start to really make connections with the text and gain a deeper understanding of what they're reading.  I have noticed that my students have not only made leaps and bounds in their writing assessments, but also in their reading comprehension skills and assessments! Using the RACES structure is 2-for-1 win!😍


Here are the steps I take to help students master these components:

1) MODEL!: As with anything we teach, modeling this process over and over and over again is really key to helping the kiddos little "light bulbs" go off. The more they see you do it, while you're walking them through a think aloud, they will start to make the connections and actually understand the process rather than just going through the motions.

2)Take Notes: When reading the Anthology story in Wonders, I always structure the kid's notes around what the constructed response prompt will be.  This way, as we are reading the story, we are stopping to note text evidence.  When we then move into our writing the kids already have text evidence in their notes that they can refer to.  If we don't take notes on the story, then I have them work in pairs and use sticky notes to find/tab evidence in the story, once we have read/discussed the constructed response writing prompt.

3)Collaborative conversations: As I guide the students through each component of RACES, they collaboratively discuss what they have written or will write, and give each other feedback.  For instance, we will discuss the "R" and "A" and then students will write theirs.  They will then share in their table group using the Kagan Round Robin strategy and give each other feedback, help make corrections, changes, etc.  We go through this process through each component in the RACES structure.  Thus through the power of collaboration all students at all ability levels are able to feel successful in their writing.

When teaching the "E" (Explain) component of RACES, I teach my students to make a personal connection.  The kids struggle the most with this "Explain" piece.  They think they are explaining, but they're really not.  Most of the time they're just repeating what they have already stated.  I model a lot for them how to take the text evidence, and then describe what that evidence means to them and thus supports their main idea.  I tell them they should use personal pronouns like I, me, or my when explaining the evidence.  This is a good starting point to help them understand this piece of RACES.  Its the hardest and arguably most important part of a constructed response!

I really can't stress enough how import it is for the students to discuss their ideas collaboratively before putting things into writing.  Collaboration is such an important part of the students' growth  and learning.  You can check out my other blogs on how I develop and establish routines for meaningful collaboration and a classroom climate that supports students growth.

Collaboratively Learning,

Megan Brown

megan.brown@omsd.net