Suggests that readers' theater activities may help children with reading problems gain oral-reading fluency and confidence. Describes how readers' theater can be successfully integrated into a broader, multifaceted tutorial. Finds positive benefits of readers' theater preparation and practice during a summer reading tutorial. Presents classroom…

Finds that at-risk first and second graders made statistically significant gains in instructional reading level that was attributable to tutoring by minimally trained America Reads Challenge college students. Finds that the greatest impact was in affecting children's ability to read words, and that most of their growth occurred during the second…

A study compared students at risk for reading disabilities who were provided phonics-based instruction in first grade (n=13), students tutored in comprehension skills in second grade (n=10), and students tutored in both grades (n=26). Students tutored only in first grade performed better than those also tutored in second grade. (Contains…

Two studies were conducted to determine the efficacy of an after-school tutoring program. Results indicated that at-risk junior high students and students with learning disabilities (n=14) who were failing classes could earn average or better grades on quizzes and tests if they had the support of trained adult tutors. (Contains references.)…

Classwide peer tutoring (CWPT) is described as a potential tool for preventing early school failure, with emphasis on three areas relevant to its successful classroom implementation: (1) the classroom program; (2) the administrative model; and (3) implementation quality assessment. Studies showing CWPT's long-term positive effects on academic…

Reviews 16 studies of 5 1-to-one tutoring models (Reading Recovery, Success for All, Prevention of Learning Disabilities, the Wallach Tutoring Program, and Programmed Tutorial Reading) used with at-risk first graders. Finds (1) substantial positive effects of tutoring; (2) effects of tutoring are generally lasting; and (3) results were more…

Sixteen students with learning disabilities or at risk of failure in foreign language study participated in a peer tutoring program with Spanish vocabulary. The classwide reciprocal peer tutoring system was found to be a feasible component of foreign language instruction, as high levels of Spanish words were learned and maintained, and incidental…

Describes a program in which preservice teachers served as tutors for at-risk first, second, and third graders in a tutorial model incorporating play and phonological awareness activities using puppets and comprehension strategy instruction using manipulatives. Finds that the program improved reading achievement for children at the first grade…

This paper provides an overview of Reading Recovery, a preventative one-on-one tutoring program that targets first-grade students whose reading skills place them in the lowest 10-20% at their school. First implemented in the United States in 1986, by 1995-96, the program was being used by over 9,000 schools in 2,940 districts. Key components of…

The Success for All model of instruction, which seeks to prevent academic problems in elementary school by addressing reading difficulties with early, intensive intervention, is described. The approach, begun with native English-speaking students at risk academically, provides tutoring from prekindergarten or kindergarten onward, particularly…

If schools improved the academic performance of at-risk students beginning in the early years and continuing through the elementary grades, this improvement would have multiple positive effects on student dropout, delinquency, pregnancy, substance abuse, and other behaviors. Early improvement of poor academic performance could greatly alleviate…

This paper provides an overview of Reading One-to-One, a structured paraprofessional tutorial program designed to improve the performance of at-risk students in grades K-8, particularly low-income, minority, and second-language learners. The program builds on some elements of Reading Recovery and Success For All. The curriculum combines explicit…

College-bound students who score poorly on the American College Test (ACT) exam (16 or below) are usually required to take an examination that measures the ability to read and interpret college level material since this ability is a significant variable in the prediction of academic success. Many of these underprepared students need specific help…

This study investigated how teachers who are trained to use learning styles and a Learning Styles Laboratory tutoring program can assist at-risk incoming high school freshmen. The study was a collaborative effort among faculty from a state university, students from an historically black private college, and a local high school. Eight teachers at…