Cross-Age Tutoring

Description of the Strategy

For years, educators have used a procedure whereby older, more proficient students teach younger students a new skill or provide practice opportunities for skill deficits. This instructional method is known as crossage tutoring and is distinctly different from peer tutoring, which typically involves students of similar ability levels and age teaching each other or practicing novel skills, although the term peer tutoring often refers to both types in the literature. In general, crossage tutoring involves a student who has already mastered the material teaching the skill to a younger child. For instance, a fifth-grade student might teach a first-grade student simple addition.

Tutoring “packages” typically involve training for the tutor, which includes how to (a) present the material, (b) correct errors, (c) deliver praise and encouragement, and (d) determine when mastery has been achieved. In this way, the tutor can serve as a “teacher” for the tutee, allowing for increased opportunities to respond actively to the stimulus materials and improve academic outcomes. Experimentally validated tutoring programs also rely on a regular schedule of implementation (e.g., 20 minutes daily, 15 minutes three times a week), as well as a systematic format for [Page 1246]revising tutoring content as mastery is achieved. Additionally, tutoring programs typically incorporate reinforcement systems (e.g., tokens, points, rewards) to maintain appropriate behaviors for younger students and the diligence of the tutors. Thus, recommendations for successful maintenance of tutoring programs include reinforcement and feedback mechanisms from students. Examples include (a) provisions for recognition of tutors (e.g., award ceremonies, certificates), (b) rewards for tutee learning (i.e., achievement tied to tutoring), and (c) regularly scheduled brainstorming sessions with participants and an adult supervisor to determine successful tutoring program components, plan revisions, and celebrate as a group (e.g., monthly pizza parties).

Cross-age tutoring usually occurs as a “pull-out program” or “separate” activity for students who participate. Students who receive tutoring, as well as those who serve as tutors, are taken away from other instruction or activities that might be occurring in their classrooms to participate in this remediation. The exception is when whole classes of older students disperse to tutor younger students simultaneously.

Research Basis

Since the 1970s, research in the area of tutoring has focused on experimental validation of the procedure as an effective, efficient method of instruction. Streamlined versions of cross-age tutoring, which are conducive to experimental examination, have become the standard in the literature. Because quality cross-age tutoring programs increase students' exposure to the academic material and involve increased opportunities to respond with immediate error correction, the results are often quite positive.

The research basis supporting the efficacy of crossage tutoring as an instructional method is quite varied. Researchers have reported improved skills for tutees across a wide range of subject matter, including (a) preacademic skills, such as naming colors, letters, and numbers; (b) sight word recognition and oral reading fluency; (c) math facts; (d) spelling; and (e) social studies and science facts.

More recent research also has demonstrated that cross-age tutoring programs have been successful in building social skills and behavioral competence for younger students. Examples have included tutors teaching social skills lessons and using point systems for appropriate behavior, tutors monitoring and coaching appropriate play skills at recess, and tutors as members of peer networks to improve functional skills (cafeteria behavior, communication skills) for younger students with disabilities.

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