Describes the use of cross-age tutoring in which sixth-grade students are used to teach first-grade students about plants. Provides a list of praise words used by the sixth graders and discusses the mutual benefits received by the students. (MDH)

A meta-analysis of 20 studies (1975-1995) indicated positive effects for alternative grouping formats for teaching reading to students with disabilities compared to whole-class instruction, particularly for student pairing. In addition, analyses indicated that outcomes for students involved in cross-age tutoring varied significantly by students'…

Uses excerpts from children's conversations to illustrate talk that occurs in three regular contexts in which struggling readers can work: weekly visits to a day care center where they read to younger children, daily partner reading, and daily inquiry project time. Suggests ways to promote talk in each context that will empower these learners. (SR)

Dropping out of high school is a major concern for the nation. Dropping out of school, although it occurs at a specific moment, is the culmination of a number of factors, including problems from both home and school, and may begin before the at-risk student starts school. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of peer tutoring by…

Computer instruction can offer particular benefits to the Indian child. Computer use emphasizes the visual facets of learning, teaches language based skills needed for higher education and careers, and provides types of instruction proven effective with Indian children, such as private self-testing and cooperative learning. The Hupa, Yurok, Karuk,…

This final report presents eight papers resulting from research conducted during the third and final year of the "Handicapped Children as Tutors" project, which investigated effects of involving handicapped students as tutors of disabled and non-disabled elementary and secondary school students. Results of all the research showed…

Twenty-four college students served as tutors in an examination of the use of paralanguage and nonverbal behavior in presenting a lesson intended for an adult of the tutor's age and for a child. Each subject was tape recorded twice while reading verbatim a lesson from a grade school textbook. Before each taping, the subject was told that the…

Five author contributed chapters explore the social environment of the schools as it relates to mainstreaming handicapped children. M. Reynolds discusses "The Changing Social Environment" in the first chapter. Emphasis is placed on the use of developmental scales in the organization of improved schools. "The Social Integration of Handicapped…

Open classroom systems frequently use peer tutoring techniques as a means of individualizing instruction. This study investigated the effects of three variables on tutor and tutee performance: (1) the achievement level of the tutor; (2) brief tutor training in reinforcement and corrective feedback procedures; and (3) tutor expectancy about tutee…

An adolescent with moderate mental disabilities tutored a seven year old in arithmetic. The peer tutoring program increased the mathematics performance of the first grader, successfully integrated the adolescent into a more typical classroom environment, improved the accuracy of the tutor's mathematics performance, and resulted in changes in…

Reports on a study of peer teaching through small group instruction in a college level psychology program. Describes how upper level undergraduate students designed, implemented, and evaluated projects to teach psychology to introductory students. Finds that both the introductory and advanced students enjoyed the experience and recommended that…

This study evaluated a cross-age peer tutoring intervention using four low-achieving grade-four students as tutors and three grade-three students reading at grade level. Tutors and tutees all improved their sight word performance substantially. All participants reported they liked the program and tutors also improved in self-concept. (DB)

This pamphlet is the sixth in a series of ten stemming from the view that language is central to learning, that teachers can gain insights into their work and into learning by examining the language of the classroom, and that current language theory can be the means to such insights. The pamphlet outlines a students-helping-students program for…

This article addresses the problem of achieving a successful program of individualized learning. Two major points are raised. First, the teacher should realize the importance of diagnosing and understanding the different learning style of each pupil. Some children learn more readily by reading, others by hearing. Some learn faster when they can be…

Presents the theories of Vygotsky and Bandura that provide the foundation for research on cross-age learning in multiple-age groupings. Discusses the cognitive, social, and emotional benefits children derive from mixed-age groupings. Outlines social learning contexts, such as learning centers and projects, and structural contexts, such as multiage…