Qualified peer tutors are at the heart of an effective peer tutoring program. However, developing effective tutors requires a sound tutor training program. A good tutor training regimen doesn’t always have to be elaborate and formal. How you go about training students for their roles as tutors largely depends on the purpose of the tutoring program. For example, is the peer tutoring program set up primarily for its social and emotional benefits while academic gain comes secondary? Is it set up to provide academic support to special needs students? Is the program being conducted in a class wide or school wide / cross-age setting? Posing questions such as these will assist you in designing an appropriate tutor training approach.
Whatever the purpose of a tutoring program might be, tutor training has a major impact on the program’s success. Here on the peer tutoring resource site, you’ll find various ideas and examples of tutor training methods that can be modified to meet the unique requirements of your program.
In the peer tutoring resource library, tutor training items are divided into two categories based on program scope: class wide and school wide tutoring.
Examples of items you’ll find in the classroom peer tutor training section include the Kids as Reading Helpers peer tutor training manual by Jim Wright; Utah Education Network’s middle school peer tutor training lesson plan designed to train tutors in working with handicapped students; Model Language and Role-playing for tutors; submissions from peer tutoring practitioners and other equally useful materials.
The school wide peer tutor training section has a good amount of information on tutor recruitment and evaluation in addition to tutor training materials. Alongside training materials such as Washington Reading Corps’ Tutor Training and Management document, you’ll also see good examples of tutor application forms, tutor reflection guides and evaluation documents.
Although the tutor training items in the library are categorized by peer tutoring program scope, you’ll find that many of the materials are suitable for both class wide and school wide situations.
Other items in the peer tutoring resource library include lesson plans, program design and planning materials as well as program evaluation documents. The library is being updated almost on a weekly basis; therefore we encourage you to check back often for updates, or sign up to receive email newsletter notifications.
Interested in contributing to the resource library? Find out how to submit documents
