Background/Context: Significant research has been done on the cognitive and academic outcomes of older-younger and peer-peer student relationships. Whether in a one-on-one setting or a setting in which responsibility for teaching is shared among members of a collaborative group, well-planned, well-organized, and well-executed student-student…

What reading programs have been proven to help students in grades 2-5 to succeed? To find out, this review summarizes evidence on three types of programs designed to improve the reading achievement of students in grades 2-5: (1) Reading Curricula (Curr), such as "Open Court," "Harcourt," "Reading Street" and other standard and alternative…

This article systematically reviews research on the achievement outcomes of three types of classroom approaches to improving the reading achievement of students in grades 2-5: Reading curricula, computer-assisted instruction (CAI), and instructional process programs. Study inclusion criteria included use of randomized or matched control groups,…

Given that the potential for leadership ability is one quality of some gifted and talented students, how can teachers incorporate leadership training into the school day for these learners? A look at the concept of leadership may provide direction. Karnes and Bean (1996) reported differing views among theorists regarding leadership acquisition.…

"Caring School Community"[TM] ("CSC") is a modified version of a program formerly known as the "Child Development Project" ("CDP"). The "CSC" program has been recently revised to eliminate some elements of the "CDP" that were shown in evaluation studies to be inconsistently or poorly…

This qualitative study examines the perceptions and responses of struggling ninth-grade readers who are teaching reading to struggling second- and third-grade students in a cross-age tutoring program. The program was designed to overcome the entrenched, negative affective barriers that older students often bring to the required reading class by…

Outcomes for methods to accelerate thinking skills involving some peer interaction have been more consistently positive than those for purely teacher-directed or materials-led methods. However, methods involving mainly or only peer interaction are rare. This paper describes and evaluates such a method for peer tutoring in thinking skills, which…

Tutoring has long been recognized as superior to group instruction, especially for students with special needs. Tutors can adapt instruction to the learner's pace, learning style and level of understanding. Feedback and correction are immediate. Basic misunderstandings can be quickly identified and corrected. Tutoring also has emotional benefits:…

The student-to-student chemistry initiative (SSCI) impact on elementary school students is examined quantitatively. Results reveal that the number of students attending the chemistry outreach demonstration performances sponsored by the small chemistry department increased more than five-folds.

Pairing high school seniors with elementary students to write, edit, and publish children's picture books proved to be an engaging project for the students. Seniors stayed focused and eager to work on the project and proved they had learned editing lessons by teaching them to the younger students.

Sixth grade students tutored four moderately mentally handicapped elementary students in mathematics. Results indicated increased math skills. Teachers rated the program positively and reported increased academic and/or social achievement among subjects. Tutors and tutees reported positive attitudes toward each other. A two-year follow-up study…

The purpose of this study was to determine if cross-age peer tutoring of fifth graders with learning disabilities and kindergarten students would have an effect on reading attitudes and reading achievement. A tutoring program was designed to meet the literacy needs of fifth grade special education resource students as well as provide enriching…

This study examined the impact on high school students who taught elementary students MADD's Protecting You/Protecting Me (PY/PM), an alcohol use prevention and vehicle safety program. High school students (N = 188) enrolled in a peer helping course completed surveys before and after teaching PY/PM, and a comparison group of peer helper students…

The authors evaluated the effectiveness of explicit reading comprehension strategies instruction, followed by practice in teacher-led whole-class activities (STRAT), reciprocal same-age (STRAT + SA) peer-tutoring activities, or cross-age peer-tutoring activities (STRAT + CA) on 2nd and 5th graders' reading comprehension and self-efficacy…

As a university instructor and a language arts middle school teacher, the authors have been working collaboratively for the last three years. This article describes their collaborative efforts, including what they have learned about their students and about the process of learning through the work they have done together. To introduce their…