All students have the opportunity to function as a tutor or tutee at differing times. Cue cards, small pieces of cardstock upon which are printed a list of tutoring steps, may be provided to help students remember PALS steps (Spencer, Scruggs, & Mastropieri, 2003). Groups are flexible and change often across a variety of subject areas or skills. Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS): PALS, a version of the CWPT model, involves a teacher pairing students who need additional instruction or help with a peer who can assist (Fuchs, Fuchs, & Burish, 2000). This arrangement is also beneficial for students with disabilities as they may serve as tutors for younger students. Tutors serve to model appropriate behavior, ask questions, and encourage better study habits. The older student and younger student can have similar or differing skill levels, with the relationship being one of a cooperative or expert interaction. The older student serves as the tutor and the younger student is the tutee. The positions of tutor and tutee do not change. Students mayĬross-age Peer Tutoring: Older students are paired with younger students to teach or review a skill. In CWPT, student pairings are fluid and may be based on achievement levels or student compatibility. While the procedures and routines in CWPT remain the same, student pairings or groups may change weekly or biweekly. The entire class participates in structured peer tutoring activities two or more times per week for approximately 30 minutes (Harper & Maheady, 2007). Typically, CWPT involves highly structured procedures, direct rehearsal, competitive teams, and posting of scores (Maheady, Harper, & Mallette, 2001).
Students then act as tutors, tutees, or both tutors and tutees. What are the most frequently used peer tutoring models?Ĭlasswide Peer Tutoring (CWPT): Classwide peer tutoring involves dividing the entire class into groups of two to five students with differing ability levels.
Typically, a higher performing student is paired with a lower performing student to review critical academic or behavioral concepts. Peer tutoring is a flexible, peer-mediated strategy that involves students serving as academic tutors and tutees. Brittany Hott and Jennifer Walker, George Mason University Jasneen Sahni, Marymount University