Explores factors accounting for the success of poor readers (college students) tutoring other poor readers (elementary school students). Finds that using texts that gradually and repetitively introduced high-frequency vocabulary and engaging children in direct letter-sound instruction were important. Finds that scaffolding of reading and writing…

A program was developed for improving the social skills and reading levels of 29 elementary grade students in a low- to middle-class manufacturing community located in an urban area in northern Illinois. The problem was originally noted by the amount of teacher time spent correcting behavior and the low reading levels of students as evidenced by…

In this study, two ESEA Title I inner-city schools in the Salt Lake School District selected and trained upper-grade (grades 4, 5, and 6) students in structured tutoring techniques previously developed and proven effective by Grant V. Harrison in previous studies. Lower grade (first, second, and third grade) teachers identified the students…

The effects of a tutor-tutee relationship on the reading achievement and achievement motivation of underachieving black male children were investigated. A group of 41 tutees and their controls as well as a group of 41 tutors and their controls, all from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, were randomly selected. All subjects were given a nonverbal IQ…

An action research project describes a cross-age tutoring program to help increase the reading achievement of targeted second graders. The targeted population consisted of second and fifth graders in a middle class suburban community west of a large midwestern city. The problems of poor word attack skills and reading comprehension were documented…

An action research project focused on how a child's academic achievement is affected by his or her chronological age. The population consisted of kindergarten and third-grade students in a growing middle class community within a southwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Evidence for the existence of this problem was gathered from teacher surveys,…

The literature concerning tutoring in the elementary schools was surveyed and evaluated to determine the relative effectiveness of two types of programs--peer and cross-age tutoring. Studies involving each type of program were analyzed separately and effectiveness was judged by the gains in reading achievement experienced by both tutors and…

This study investigated the effects of a cross-age tutorial experience on the self-esteem of the tutors and the reading achievement of the pupils. Ninety-two fifth-grade males selected from four parochial schools in Nassau County, New York, were tested on a self-esteem inventory. Those scoring lowest were randomly assigned to tutoring groups and…

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 reading program called Storymates, which connected school and home literacy experiences of 9-, 10-, and 11-year olds through storybook reading to younger siblings, relatives, and neighborhood friends. Discusses exploring story structure in the classroom; reading storybooks in school and at home; how retellings improved; and…

The feasibility of devising a highly individualized reading program for low-achieving 6-year-old children centering on structured tutoring was investigated. The 33 subjects from three schools would enter first grade in the fall and were considered low achievers on the basis of kindergarten testing. Upper-grade elementary students volunteered to…

A study examined how culturally diverse students increased their reading/writing performance through a structured volunteer tutoring program. Two university professors developed volunteer tutoring programs at six elementary schools in southeastern Michigan. Program objectives were to: (1) increase the reading performance of culturally diverse…

Describes a cross-age reading and writing program in which sixth-grade students (all average and low-average readers) were paired with kindergarten children to read and write collaboratively on a regular basis. Finds evidence from the students themselves, their parents, the teachers, and the school librarian showing how students' attitudes toward…

A study described the amount of usage and structure of cross-age reading tutoring programs. A survey was sent to 68 schools in northwest Ohio to determine percentage and ranges of usage. Results indicated that less than 22% of the 42 elementary schools that responded to the survey used a cross-age tutoring program. Of the programs in place, less…

A study was designed to examine the effectiveness of repeated reading in fluency and comprehension. A cross-age reading program was used to give students a purpose for rereading material. The children in a second-grade classroom in a private school in suburban New Jersey were randomly assigned to two sample groups. The experimental group read to a…