Argues that peer-assisted learning is a good option for teachers concerned with providing as much individual help as possible to their students. Describes one such peer tutoring program. (FL)

The results of a pilot study of a reading tutor program that had as its focus the creation of a suitable reporting system for insuring adequate implementation of the program are discussed in this paper. The use of learning resource teachers (LRTs) to train tutors, select tutees, monitor implementation, and establish home-based reinforcement is…

The literature concerning tutoring in the elementary schools was surveyed and evaluated to determine the relative effectiveness of two types of programs--peer and cross-age tutoring. Studies involving each type of program were analyzed separately and effectiveness was judged by the gains in reading achievement experienced by both tutors and…

Describes a cross-age reading program called Storymates, which connected school and home literacy experiences of 9-, 10-, and 11-year olds through storybook reading to younger siblings, relatives, and neighborhood friends. Discusses exploring story structure in the classroom; reading storybooks in school and at home; how retellings improved; and…

The feasibility of devising a highly individualized reading program for low-achieving 6-year-old children centering on structured tutoring was investigated. The 33 subjects from three schools would enter first grade in the fall and were considered low achievers on the basis of kindergarten testing. Upper-grade elementary students volunteered to…

A study described the amount of usage and structure of cross-age reading tutoring programs. A survey was sent to 68 schools in northwest Ohio to determine percentage and ranges of usage. Results indicated that less than 22% of the 42 elementary schools that responded to the survey used a cross-age tutoring program. Of the programs in place, less…

A cross-age tutoring program--using a highly structured tutoring method, an administrative reporting system, and home based reinforcement--was implemented and evaluated in six Ontario, Canada, schools. The subjects were 50 students with reading scores at least six months below grade level. These students were placed either in an experimental group…

Peer tutoring and other innovative uses of students in teaching roles have received considerable attention because of the academic and social gains which can be observed among participating children. Teachers who want to try peer tutoring often encounter difficulty in devising workable programs for their own classrooms, however, because most…