14 Buddy/Peer Tutoring
Definition
Pairing up a student with an exceptionality with another student to enrich their opportunities for social and academic learning.
In action
The teacher can assign students with different abilities to work together such as by completing different components of the same task.
Support Strategies
- Give group work with assigned roles (e.g., note-taker) so that students have a structure for working together
- Students can complete information gap or jigsaw activities whereby they complete the majority of their work independently and collaborate to create the finished product
- Provide and model critical language and skills necessary to work together in a supportive fashion
- Provide sufficient training and guidelines for buddies tutors to ensure supportive and beneficial partnerships
- Ensure that students with exceptionalities have opportunities to serve as buddies/ tutors
Case Study
Student: Grade 3 student in an English class.
Content: Students are working in partners to practice reading new vocabulary words out loud.
Problem: The student is having trouble reading some of the longer words and is reluctant to try them out loud.
Solution: The student is paired with a buddy who is able to read the words fluently. The teacher asks the buddy to read the words first and the other student to repeat them. The teacher also provides the buddy with some strategies to support the student if they get stuck
Additional Resources
- Benefits of peer-mediated learning for students with learning disabilities from LD@School
- Detailed instructions for implementing effective peer tutoring models from the CLD
- Suggestions for using peer support models for students with ASD in schools from Reading Rockets
- Comparison of peer tutoring approaches from Reading Rockets
- 7 steps to starting a peer buddy program in school from TEC
- Q&A with Dr. Carolyn Hughes on peer buddy programs
