Primary prevention of reading failure: Effect of universal peer tutoring in the early grades |
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| Authors: | Giavana Jones Dragana Ostojic Jessica Menard Erin Picard |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Psychology, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada;2. Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
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| Abstract: | Reading is typically considered a survival skill in our technology- and literacy-bound culture. Individuals who struggle with learning to read are at significantly elevated risk for a number of negative outcomes, including school failure, under- and unemployment, and special education placement. Thus, those who do not learn to read fluently will likely be a greater drain on society's resources. The authors examined the effects of a universal (school district-wide) implementation of a well-validated peer-tutoring reading intervention as a system-wide prevention measure in kindergarten through Grade 3 in a small metropolitan area in Canada. Results suggest that nearly all children demonstrated improved reading fluency over time. Yet those at highest-risk for poor outcomes, including those living in poverty and those who face learning challenges due to English as a second-language status or special education enrollment, did not make parallel gains to same-age peers in more affluent schools. Implications for educational policy are discussed. |
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| Keywords: | Peer tutoring prevention reading acquisition |
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