A Curriculum & Planning Guide for Setting Up a Schoolwide Reading Peer Tutoring Program and Training Peer Tutors

December 21, 2015
Tags :

Today's peer tutoring resource spotlight features a peer tutor training and peer tutoring program planning guide written by a certified school psychologist and administrator as well as a trainer and consultant to schools and organizations.

Despite what the title of the guide suggests, this resource is more than a peer tutor training manual. It also serves as a building / schoolwide cross-age peer tutoring program planning guide. Written by Jim Wright, Kids As Reading Helpers: A Peer Tutor Training Manual is truly a comprehensive guide providing instructions for using research-based instructional techniques: paired reading and listening while reading.

What's in the Guide?

The document begins by explaining the rationale for using peer tutoring as an intervention method to help struggling readers and the benefits of this strategy to both the tutors and students being tutored.

jim wright-kids as reading helpers quote-2

Next, Wright explains the six core elements any peer tutoring program should have in order to be effective, and also gives a clear series of steps to follow in order to set up a schoolwide peer tutoring program, along with helpful forms, and sample parent and teacher letters.

Following is a section that explains the tasks involved in setting the program in motion: training peer tutors, matching tutors with tutees and monitoring peer tutoring quality as well as student progress.

The final section contains a curriculum for training reading peer tutors on tutoring procedures, appropriate behaviors, lessons on how to do paired reading and listening while reading, along with practice activities. This section also provides step-by-step directions for conducting tutor training sessions.

Below is a list of some sample documents you’ll find in this manual:

Peer Tutoring Program Set-up

  • Peer Tutoring Assembling the Pieces Checklist (this checklist helps to ensure that you have covered the important steps necessary in preparing your school to start a peer tutoring program)
  • Tutoring Locations Inventory Sheet
  • Tutors: Teacher Nomination Letter
  • Peer Tutor Nomination Form
  • Tutees: Teacher Nomination Letter
  • Peer Tutee Nomination Form
  • Tutors: Teacher Acceptance Letter
  • Tutees: Teacher Acceptance Letter
  • Tutors: Parent Permission Letter
  • Tutees: Parent Permission Letter
  • Tutor / Tutee Availability Schedule Form
  • Tutor-Tutee Matchup Form
  • Peer Tutoring Observation Form and Interpretation Guidelines

Peer Tutor Training

  • Lesson Plan: Peer Tutoring & Appropriate Behaviors
  • Lesson Plan: How to Give Compliments to Tutees
  • Lesson Plan: Strategies to Building Reading Fluency – How to Do Paired Reading
  • Lesson Plan: Strategies to Building Reading Fluency – How to Do Listening While Reading
  • Lesson Plan: Peer Tutoring: Graduation Day (this lesson concludes with a celebration to mark the conclusion of training)

Kids as Reading Helpers: A Peer Tutor Training Manual is available on the author’s website. A link to the manual is also listed in the resource library.


Interested in contributing to the resource library? Find out how to submit documents

Interested in contributing content?

Learn more

Stay Informed

Get notified of new peer tutoring materials and research studies, featured schools / educators with successful peer tutoring programs, events / conferences and important news & giveaway announcements. 
Subscription Form
© 2023 Peer Tutoring Resource Center Powered by Donny Studio
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram