Reviews research that confirms the author's beliefs that cross-age tutoring programs are very successful programs. Identifies three major components in successful cross-age tutoring programs: (1) planning the tutoring program; (2) training for the tutors in interpersonal skills, management skills, and content skills; and (3) tutoring techniques…

Describes a collaboration between an innovative high school English course and a college-level course of literacy theory. Describes the collaboration, its goals and outcomes, and benefits. Discusses briefly resisting institutional hierarchies. (SR)

A writing task assigned to tenth grade students of a biotechnology unit is elaborated wherein they practiced literacy skills and demonstrated knowledge integration by communicating their understanding to seventh-grade students. The standards put forward by the National Research Council are fulfilled by such teaching strategies.

Describes the preparation, implementation, and results of a classroom cross-age tutoring project, which involved third and fourth graders reading books to younger students. Discusses evolution of project: students' lesson plans became more student-centered and complex over time, tutors assumed responsibility for younger children, and their…

Describes the Teens for Literacy project, in which teens come up with ideas to improve literacy in their schools. Notes that, in the nearly five years of the program, teens have developed a Big Brother/Big Sister reading program, selected and displayed posters in school corridors, developed videos promoting literacy, read with children, and…

This pamphlet describes a year-long project that began with the idea of inviting eighth graders to study the thoughts of second graders as shared during literature discussions. It then evolved into a more elaborate project bolstered by the students' enthusiasm and interest in each other. The pamphlet describes the students, establishment of the…

The literacy club described is a model cross-aged, paired reading program that is being successfully used in an elementary school in Redwood City, California to teach literacy skills to non-native speakers of English. The literacy club pairs older students--"rapid readers"--with younger students--"little readers"--in a yearlong reading experience…

Explores benefits derived from the "Gardendale Family" (a vertically aligned team of K-6 classrooms). Describes how older students give guidance, feedback, and validation to those in lower grades as the younger children become active members of the literacy community; and how students use written and oral language in authentic and…

Explores benefits derived from the "Gardendale Family" (a vertically aligned team of K-6 classrooms in which students remain throughout their elementary school careers). Highlights a community-based research project which served as a vehicle for fostering cross-age learning opportunities, connecting students' learning to their community,…

This theme issue focuses on strategies to enhance learning of English as a second language and on the importance of bilingual education. In "Bilingual Education Makes the Difference in Learning," Roberto Feliz, who was born in the Dominican Republic and is now a doctor, describes how bilingual education saved him from academic failure…