Teaching elementary students how to read is undeniably crucial, yet a substantial number of children encounter difficulties despite early interventions. Cross-age tutoring, a pedagogical approach that pairs older students with younger peers, emerges as a cost-effective solution that brings academic and social benefits to both the tutor and the…

Describes how book buddies activities enable both tutors and tutees to reach new heights in their literacy abilities. Describes how teachers can significantly increase these benefits by incorporating record-keeping and writing activities. Offers examples of book buddy journals, reflection forms, reading records, strategies checklists, question…

Reviews ERIC materials dealing with effective tutoring programs. (FL)

Reviews several programs using students as tutors of younger students. Also lists sources of materials for use in such programs. (TO)

Describes a cross-age tutoring program between middle school and kindergarten and second grade students. (MG)

Responds to an article in the April 1998 issue of this journal. Shares evidence about the effectiveness of peer tutoring. Discusses literacy tutoring of K-3 emergent readers by volunteers. Explains why tutoring is not teaching, and offers a model for successful tutoring practices. (SR)

Replies to an article in the same issue of this journal, which responded to this author's earlier article. Elaborates two fundamental points of disagreement (the definition of tutoring and the characteristics of the children being tutored). (SR)

Describes the Reading Buddies program in which high school students tutor first graders at risk of failure in reading while receiving training provided by university professors. (SR)

Describes a reading intervention program that combined a modified enrichment program with cross-age tutoring and that resulted in significant gains in reading for both students and tutors. (SR)

Describes a cross-age tutoring program that provides benefits to both the university student athletes who serve as tutors and the elementary school students with whom they work. Gives reasons for the success of the program, as well as evidence of the success. (MG)

Studies low-achieving fifth-grade readers to evaluate the feasibility of a cross-age reading program and to clarify implementation details for a large-scale project. Finds that quantitative results and qualitative data suggest that cross-age reading programs are a promising way to help poor readers to improve their reading. (MG)