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Background:
The objectives of my
implementation of reciprocal peer tutoring were twofold: (1) to increase
the reading ability of my adolescents with emotional disturbance; and (2) to
provide a predictable and consistent response to reading errors.
Reciprocal Peer Tutoring
Two of the most thoroughly
researched collaborative learning methods in reading are Cooperative
Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC; Stevens et al., 1987) and
Reciprocal Teaching (Palincsar & Brown, 1984)CIRC was based on teachers
using basal readers in small group settings along with weekly direct
instruction on comprehension. Students work in mixed ability pairs,
decoding, story structure, prediction and story summary.
In Reciprocal Teaching, students read an expository passage paragraph by
paragraph. While reading the teacher models comprehension strategies, which
generate questions, ability to summarize, clarifying word meaning and
confusing text, and predicting consequent paragraphs. The teacher also
encourages students to react to their classmates’ statements by elaborating
or commenting, suggesting other questions, requesting clarification, and
helping mediate subsequent discussions. During this process the teacher
slowly begins to shift her role, allowing the students to facilitate the
group processes.
These methods are well researched and widely available; however, in teaching
classrooms with a wider range of students these methods are lacking in
practicality. CIRC requires a great deal of reading instructional time as
well as an incredible amount of time creating and duplicating materials.
Reciprocal Teaching has two main limitations. First, the strategic
comprehension behaviors are unfamiliar to a fair amount of teachers
(Pressley, 1997). Second, the technique for helping student to assume the
role of teacher is very challenging and could be inappropriate for some
students or settings (see Rosenshine & Meister, 1994).
Class Wide Peer Tutoring is a third form of collaborative learning (CWPT;
Greenwood et al., 1989). CWPT better meets the diverse needs of teachers
and students, which offers a greater potential of connecting research and
practice. CWPT requires no material development and only minimal copying at
the beginning of the year. It is relatively easy for teachers and students
to use. CWPT has students work in pairs; one student reads for 5 minutes
while the partner corrects any errors. The partner then asks who, what,
when, and where questions. Then the pair switches roles and the other
partner reads and answers the questions.
In the 1980’s Doug and Lynn Fuchs (at Vanderbilt University) and Debbie
Simmons (now at the University of Oregon), with the collaboration of other
authors, developed collaborative learning methods that would reflect the
richness of CIRC and Reciprocal Learning and the feasibility of CWPT. This
modification is known as Peer-Assisted Learning strategies (PALS)
Resources:
http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/elemread/pals00.html#
Fuchs,
D., Fuchs, L. S., Thompson, A., Svenson, E., Yen, L., Al Otaiba, S., Yang,
N., McMaster, K. N., Prentice, K., Kazdan, S., & Saenz, L. (2001).
Peer-assisted learning strategies in reading: Extensions for kindergarten,
first grade, and high school. Remedial and Special Education, 22,
15-21. (http://www.ldonline.org/ld_indepth/reading/peer_assisted) |
