Peer Tutoring

Peer tutoring offers opportunities for many positive effects. It:

• gives practice and repetition,
• provides immediate help,
• creates positive camaraderie, and
• builds an attitude of service to others. Peer tutoring examples:
• helping with reading,
• reviewing lesson or chapter, or
• studying for tests. Some cautions are advisable:
• Training must be provided.
• Ongoing monitoring should be carried out by the teacher.
• Tutors must be chosen judiciously. The "brightest" are not always the best tutors.
• Teachers must consider the needs of both students.

Listening and Following Directions

• understanding orally presented directions,
• understanding visually presented directions,
• understanding vocabulary used in directions,
• confidence to ask clarifying questions,
• the ability to differentiate essential from nonessential details, and
• the ability to focus on independent work tasks.

Strategies

• Present oral directions in conjunction with pictures and/or words.
• Check understanding by asking students to repeat directions in own words.
• Teach students to check understanding with a partner.
• Establish eye contact with target students prior to giving directions.
• Use a predetermined signal (e.g. clapping pattern) to get the group's attention.
• Break work tasks into smaller chunks, ask the student to check with partner to make sure he/she is on the right track before proceeding.
• Carefully select the child's location to make the best use of positive role models and proximity to the teacher.
• Provide an optional quiet place to work.
• Find out when target students work best (e.g. first thing in the morning? after lunch?) and plan the day to maximize these times.