EVALUATION OF A CLASSWIDE PEER TUTORING SYSTEM: FIRST GRADERS TEACH EACH OTHER SIGHT WORDS1

Abstract

This paper evaluates a 5-month peer tutoring program within a first grade classroom containing 28 children, two of whom were handicapped. The objectives of the study were to: 1) measure the children's use of specific tutoring behaviors; 2) measure the effects of a two-step prompting procedure; and 3) measure sight word acquisition by both tutors and tutees. Tutors and tutees initially participated in three 30-minute training sessions (1 whole class and 2 small group) designed to teach appropriate tutor and tutee behaviors. Overhead transparencies illustrating appropriate roles, teacher modeling, simulation, and tutor-tutee practice were the basic strategies used in the training. The results indicated that tutors performed the appropriate behaviors and that both tutors and tutees increased their knowledge of sight words. The results suggest that peer tutoring may have accounted for the change. Several implications for classroom practice are discussed.