Assisting teachers to implement peer-tutored remedial reading using Pause, Prompt and Praise procedures

Abstract

In this case-study, an educational psychologist trained three primary teachers to give feedback to three 11-12 year-old low progress readers who were each tutoring one low progress classmate, with the Pause, Prompt and Praise procedures. After themselves learning the Pause, Prompt and Praise procedures the teachers were provided with written instructions, and then trainer feedback on how to provide feedback for the peer tutors. Results of the eight week program indicated substantial gains for both tutees and tutors on the Dunedin Teachers College Informal Prose Inventory, and on the number of successive book levels read to criterion. With the written instructions alone, teachers use very intrusive prompts when giving feedback to peer tutors. However, when teachers also received feedback on their own performance they used far less intrusive forms of prompts, encouraging tutors to remember and explain their own tutoring behaviours and implement the procedures accurately without becoming dependent on teacher support or supervision.