This investigation compared the use of traditional instruction with that of classwide peer tutoring using materials containing embedded mnemonic strategies to provide strategic information and supplemental practice of important content. Eight inclusive seventh grade social studies classes with 186 students, of whom 42 were classified with mild…

Ten inclusive middle school social studies classes, including 133 general education students, and 24 students with mild disabilities (21 with learning disabilities and 3 with emotional disabilities), were assigned at random to a traditional instruction condition, or an experimental condition involving classwide peer tutoring with specialized…

Meta-analysis procedures were employed to synthesize findings of research for improving reading comprehension of students with learning disabilities published in the decade following previous meta-analytic investigations. Forty studies, published between 1995 and 2006, were identified and coded. Nearly 2,000 students served as participants.…

Sixty-one normally achieving and at-risk fifth-grade students (of whom three had learning disabilities), in three classrooms, were taught two 5-week science units via experimental or control conditions in which treatment order and unit of instruction were counterbalanced. In the control condition, students received typical instruction, with…

Differential effects of a peer-tutoring intervention on the academic achievement of 203 7th-grade science students with and without disabilities in co-teaching and non-co-teaching settings were examined over an 8-week period. Impact of peer tutoring was assessed using a 2 condition by 2 settings by 2 types of students analysis of covariance with…

Throughout the history of education, debate has existed between the relative merits of instructed versus constructed knowledge. In this article, we review our program of research in science education for students with disabilities in order to reveal some insights into this debate. We review research in science curriculum, mnemonic strategies,…

The study examined effects of tutoring lower functioning students on 12 behaviorally disordered students tutors (third through fifth grades). Although anecdotal reports strongly favored tutoring, all objective measures (i.e., absences, disciplinary referrals, achievement test performance, behavior rating scales) failed to indicate behavior change…

A review of 17 studies on tutoring behaviorally disordered students revealed that tutoring can have a positive effect on both the tutor's and the tutee's academic achievement and can increase social relations of the tutoring dyad as well as attitudes toward content area. However, ancedotal reports of improved general social functioning, are not…

Twenty-four empirical investigations of tutoring interventions with learning disabled students were evaluated. Although all authors favored tutoring, equivocal results were reported with few substantiated reports of social benefits to tutors or tutees. Methodological problems associated with such research in field settings are identified. A chart…

Two experiments compared cross-age and peer tutoring interventions within special education settings. In experiment 1, 47 elementary age learning and/or behaviorally disordered (LD/BD) students acted as tutors of younger LD and BD students. In experiment 2, 31 same-age LD and BD students alternated tutor and tutee roles. In both experiments,…

The article synthesizes results of studies dealing with cross age and peer tutoring in special education, noting both tutor and tutee benefits (academic and personal/social). Implications for instruction are noted. (CL)

A study compared the reading fluency, comprehension strategies, and content test scores of 16 students with mild disabilities who participated in a nine-week world history class taught using peer tutoring or teacher-directed guided notes. Students who were participated in peer tutoring significantly outperformed the other students on content-area…

Compared cross-age and peer tutoring interventions conducted within special education settings. In Experiment 1, learning disabled (LD) and behaviorally disordered (BD) students tutored younger LD and BD students. In Experiment 2, same-age LD and BD students alternated tutor and tutee roles. In both experiments, tutors and tutees exhibited…

A study involving 30 middle school students with emotional or behavioral disorders investigated use of integrated explicit strategy instruction in social studies classes using a peer tutoring format. After four weeks, students who received peer tutoring scored higher on content tests and on-task behavior while in the tutoring condition. (Contains…

Reviews research on reading fluency and provides recommendations for teaching reading skills to students with mild disabilities. Interventions that are discussed include repeated reading, peer-mediated instruction, computer-guided practice, previewing, and combined instruction. (Author/CR)