Peer tutoring, individualized intervention, and progress monitoring with at-risk second-grade readers

Fundamental Question: What are the three methods used to enhance student achievement when reading?

This reading determines that peer tutoring, individualized intervention and progress monitoring enhances student achievement when working on difficulties with reading. The three methods are:

1.     Peer Tutoring

Peer tutoring is a method used for monitoring reading assessments and improving students’ difficulties with reading fluency and the ability to read. This assessment method for reading fluency and ability involves educating students on how to observe another student reading aloud and to provide “appropriate error correction and positive feedback strategies” (Green, S., et al, 2004, p. 12) during and after the reading sessions. Tutors, in this case, are college students, monitor students reading aloud three different curriculum-based measurement reading probes while noting “onsets and rimes appearing in errors” (Green, S., et al, 2004, p. 11) made by the reader. Peer tutoring sessions can be instructed by anyone that knows how to assess and assist with reading fluency and ability. This assessment method is known to assist both the tutors and the tutees to obtain a deeper understanding surrounding reading strategies (Green, S., et al, 2004).

2.     Individualized Intervention

Students benefit more strongly from individualized intervention because it targets the particular area(s) of reading that the student is having difficulty with. For individualized intervention to promote success, the tutor must note various reading errors made by the student reading aloud. Using the information collected from the sessions, tutors can focus on assisting the reader with the more problematic errors they might be making, thus setting the student up for a higher success rate. An example of individualized intervention includes students “reading [past] punctuation or ignoring word endings” (Green, S., et al, 2004, p.12), then providing the reader with tactical feedback that they can apply when they are reading aloud again. When providing individualized tactical feedback, students can apply different strategies that promote them to keep reading rather than pausing and becoming confused or self-doubting. This instructional method allows the reader to become aware of their mistakes, make corrections and lead the reader to notice their improvement.

3.    Progress Monitoring

Progress monitoring is important to determine if a student is making progress with what they are working on. To monitor the ongoing progress of the students’ reading skills one would take notes when the student is reading to identify the errors that are being made. The information provided from progress monitoring can be used to “[design] specific lessons targeted to the needs” (Green, S., et al, 2004, p. 16) of each student, further promoting ongoing achievement. Achievement is identified when a student reads “repeated readings” (Green, S., et al, 2004, p. 11) and the errors made are continuously tracked. During this experiment students were not shown their progress monitoring data, however showing students their progress monitoring data would allow students to see where they started, where they currently stand and where they need or want to be when reading. Allowing students to see their rate of improvement would enable students to understand how to improve, but also allow them to feel proud of their achievements, thus being a form of positive feedback and reinforcement.

Part-Whole Question (1): What is the importance of the three methods listed above?

The three methods that work to assist with students’ reading fluency and ability are peer tutoring, individualized intervention and progress monitoring. These three methods are important to implement when a reader is struggling to assist them in achieving an attainable reading goal for their grade and curriculum. Each method is intertwined with one another, therefore making it easy to implement each method naturally. To assist a student with their reading it begins with a student reading aloud to another person. The student can read three different readings for one minute. While the student is reading, the observer will take notes based on the onsets and rimes that are appearing in the students reading errors. Using the information the observer has recorded, they will prepare individualized interventions to target the particular and more common areas of errors the student is struggling with when reading. Enabling students to follow their progress reports and understand where they are making errors is crucial for students to understand where they are and where they need to be for their grade and curriculum.

Part-Whole Question (2): What are the results of student achievement when using these three methods to improve reading fluency and ability?

According to studies, the use of peer tutoring, individualized intervention and progress monitoring has improved at-risk students’ reading ability and fluency (Green, S., et al, 2004). The students’ achievement in reading during this experiment increased in rates due to receiving feedback on their mistakes while being provided with individualized instruction on how to improve. Doing peer tutoring reading sessions once a week for some time, while providing ongoing feedback has been shown to “enhance student achievement” (Green, S., et al, 2004, p. 12) overall. Student achievement is shown through “breaking [a] task down into manageable chunks that are easy to explain and that have clear, relatively standardized procedures” (Green, S., et al, 2004, p. 16) for the student to understand and follow. In conclusion, at-risk students with reading complications succeeded when they were involved in peer tutoring, individualized intervention and progress monitoring because it enabled the student to become involved in their learning process while allowing the students to feel confident and notice their achievement.

Hypothetical Question: What if these methods were applied to small groups work?

Peer tutoring, individualized intervention and progress monitoring could be applied to small group work within the classroom to improve further student reading. To promote student inclusion in the classroom the teacher can create small groups based on each student’s reading ability and fluency. During small groups, students can be asked to complete the work they do individually such as reading or word work as the teacher is reading with one student. While the teacher is reading with a student they will monitor progress and determine individualized intervention. The teacher can do this for every student and change small groups every day. Some students may already meet the grade curriculum, however, it could benefit their reading.

Critical Question (1): Are these methods good or bad for students who are not at-risk?

Utilizing Peer tutoring, individualized intervention and progress monitoring for students who are not at-risk can still benefit their reading levels. This will help determine common errors they are making, thus furthering their reading skills overall. Though utilizing Peer tutoring, individualized intervention and progress monitoring for students who are not at-risk could show improvements, it is not necessarily needed. The time given to students who are not at risk could be provided to students who are at risk instead because they are struggling and need the most support.

Critical Question (2): What are my thoughts about this article?

This reading helped me understand what peer tutoring is compared to a reading assessment. Tutoring is assisting a student to learn how to strengthen their reading skills, whereas reading assessments are to show where the students stand without any assistance. I believe utilizing these methods would improve all students’ reading skills, especially those who are at risk. Individualized instruction based on one student’s reading fluency and ability promotes clarity and success for particular areas that a whole group discussion might not.

References

Green, S. K., Alderman, G., & Liechty, A. (2004). Peer tutoring, individualized intervention, and progress monitoring with at-risk second-grade readers.Preventing School Failure, 49(1), 11-17. Retrieved from https://login.libproxy.uregina.ca:8443/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/peer-tutoring-individualized-intervention/docview/228528499/se-2