title: Cross-age tutoring: fifth graders as arithmetic tutors for kindergarten children.
abstract: Five fifth-grade students tutored five kindergarten children in basic arithmetic skills for 7.5 weeks. A control group consisted of five kindergarten children who received no tutoring and were matched with the experimental group in arithmetic ability. Pre-, mid-, and posttesting was done using a skills-based arithmetic test. Results showed that the experimental group made far greater gains than the control group on a posttest comparison (matched pairs signed ranks test p = 0.062). In addition, a subanalysis of specific arithmetic skills showed they were improved only when tutoring for that skill was carried out. Systematic observations made of the tutor-student interactions indicated wide tutor-to-tutor variability in the percentage of student responses praised, and very little use of negative, disapproving statements. It was concluded that trained fifth-grade students can effectively teach basic arithmetic skills to kindergarteners.
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000367:Age Factors; D001076:Aptitude; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004522:Educational Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008433:Mathematics; D012056:Reinforcement, Social; D012073:Remedial Teaching; D012919:Social Behavior; D013664:Teaching Materials; D013997:Time Factors