Intervention: Peer Tutoring in Vocabulary

Tier: 2

Age/Grades:6th-12th grade

Format: Check all that apply

☐Individual

☒Pairs

☒Small group (3-5 students)

☐Whole Class (becomes Tier 1)

Materials:

  • List of vocabulary words per student
  • Vocabulary quizzes ( 1 brief and 1 comprehensive)
  • Index cards (10-20) per student, per week
  • Dictionaries
  • Reward incentives
  • Chart for displaying student names and number of checks/stars

Frequency/Duration:Tutoring sessions 3times per week for 30 minutes per session; activity time 5 times a week for 20 minutes

Progress Monitoring Tool:Weekly vocabulary tests

Steps:

Introduction and Training

  1. Explain to students that they will be working in pairs to help them learn and remember more vocabulary words. Tell them that they will have an opportunity to earn homework passes (or other determined incentive).
  2. Conduct a training session using the following procedure listed below. Allow for 30 minutes for the initial session with 20 minutes for demonstration and modeling and 10 minutes for group practice. Be sure to model appropriate voice levels for students during practice sessions.

Implementation

  1. On Monday, distribute the list of vocabulary words and assign tutoring partners. Pairs remain the same during the entire week. If students are grouped for reading instruction, pair members of the same group for tutoring.
  2. Begin by asking students to move to their tutoring stations (paired desks or similar arrangement). Designate one student in each pair to serve as the first tutor.
  3. Distribute the new vocabulary list, index cards, and dictionaries
  4. Have students prepare individual sets of flashcards by looking up the vocabulary words in a dictionary and copying the word on one side of an index card and the definition on the other.
  5. Have tutoring partners check each other’s definitions to ensure that they are accurate, complete and legible while you circulate and provide assistance as needed.
  6. On Tuesday, conduct a brief whole-class review of the definitions and provide corrective feedback as needed
  7. Have the tutoring pairs practice vocabulary definitions for 20 minutes, using the following procedures
  8. For the first 10 minutes, the tutor shows the tutee a vocabulary card and asks the tutee to define it
  9. If the definition is correct, the tutor praises the tutee, turns the card face down and proceeds to the next card
  10. If the tutee fails to define the word correctly, the tutor reads the definition from the back of the card and has the tutee repeat it. The tutor then inserts the missed card back into the stack of cards near the beginning and returns to it in a short period of time
  11. After the tutor has gone through the stack of vocabulary cards, he/she starts over from the beginning and presents the words as many tines as possible during the 10 minutes.
  12. After 10 minutes, call time and have students switch roles
  13. During the tutoring, walk around the room, supervising and praising appropriate tutoring behavior and voice level
  14. At the end of the tutoring session, administer a vocabulary quiz on the current words, as well as a few words drawn from earlier chapters or lessons
  15. Collect the papers for grading. (Alternatively, have students exchange papers, correct each other’s answers as you go over each item, and write the percentage of words correctly defined at the top of the paper
  16. Check over all test papers. Provide feedback to the class for scoring errors and adjust pair scores accordingly (this may need to occur on the following day)
  17. When quizzes have been graded, put stars or checks on the chart to indicate which students have received scores of 90% or higher
  18. When both students in the tutoring pair receive 3 consecutive quiz scores of 90% or above, award a homework pass (or other agreed upon reward to each student)
  19. Conduct 1 or 2 additional vocabulary tutoring sessions during the week, as needed, based on the first set of scores.
  20. Administer a more comprehensive vocabulary quiz on Friday
  21. After most student pairs have eared the reward once, administer vocabulary quizzes on a weekly rather than daily basis

Variations:

Self-Monitoring Variation: Have students record their vocabulary scores in their reading notebooks and request homework passes (other incentive) as they are earned. Verify the reported scores in your grade book and award passes accordingly.

Public Posting Variation: Award checks or stars to student pairs that meet the 90% criterion but do not provide any tangible rewards

Whole-Group Contingency Variation: Provide a whole group reward (i.e., pizza party, free time) if all tutoring pairs achieve the 90% criterion on the weekly quiz

Differentiated Instruction Variation: This is designed for reading classes using a small-group instructional format. Provide separate vocabulary lists and quizzes for each group and pair students according to their group placement. Moving through each group in turn, administer a quiz to one group while the students in the other groups engage in peer tutoring.

*Notes: For greatest benefit, tutoring sessions should be held at least 3 times a week. To reduce preparation and grading time, use short-answer or item-matching formats on the daily quizzes and have students check each other’s papers under your guidance. If you detect cheating, do not permit students to check their partner’s papers.

References:

Malone, R.A., & McLaughlin, T.F. (1997). The effects of reciprocal peer tutoring with a group contingency on quiz performance in vocabulary with seventh- and eighth-grade students. Behavioral Interventions, 12, 27-40. Copyright 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Adapted by permission.

Rathvon, N. (2008). Effective school interventions: Evidence-based strategies for improving student outcomes. New York: Guilford Press.

Fidelity Checklist

Date: ______Person Delivering Intervention: ______

Start Time:______End Time:______Name of Student: ______

Administrator Observing: ______

Intervention: Peer Tutoring in Vocabulary

Directions: During the intervention observation, place an “X” in the “yes” column if the step is completed/observed. Place an “X” in the “no” column if the step was not observed. Tally the number of “Yes” marks and calculate the integrity of each part and the overall integrity.
Note: If the step is not applicable place an “N/A” in the “Yes” column. Do not calculate this in the integrity formula.

Part 1: Materials

Materials / Yes / No
List of vocabulary words per student
Vocabulary quizzes ( 1 brief and 1 comprehensive)
Index cards (10-20) per student, per week
Dictionaries
Reward incentives
Chart for displaying student names and number of checks/stars

Part 2: Intervention Steps (Introduction & Training)

Steps / Checklist / Yes / No
1 / Explain to students that they will be working in pairs to help them learn and remember more vocabulary words. Tell them that they will have an opportunity to earn homework passes (or other determined incentive).
2 / Conduct a training session using the following procedure listed under implementation. Allow for 30 minutes for the initial session with 20 minutes for demonstration and modeling and 10 minutes for group practice. Be sure to model appropriate voice levels for students during practice sessions.

Part 2: Intervention Steps (Implementation)

Steps / Checklist / Yes / No
1 / On Monday, distribute the list of vocabulary words and assign tutoring partners. Pairs remain the same during the entire week. If students are grouped for reading instruction, pair members of the same group for tutoring.
2 / Begin by asking students to move to their tutoring stations (paired desks or similar arrangement). Designate one student in each pair to serve as the first tutor.
3 / Distribute the new vocabulary list, index cards, and dictionaries
4 / Have students prepare individual sets of flashcards by looking up the vocabulary words in a dictionary and copying the word on one side of an index card and the definition on the other.
5 / Have tutoring partners check each other’s definitions to ensure that they are accurate, complete and legible while you circulate and provide assistance as needed.
6 / On Tuesday, conduct a brief whole-class review of the definitions and provide corrective feedback as needed
7 / Have the tutoring pairs practice vocabulary definitions for 20 minutes, using the following procedures
7a / For the first 10 minutes, the tutor shows the tutee a vocabulary card and asks the tutee to define it
7b / If the definition is correct, the tutor praises the tutee, turns the card face down and proceeds to the next card
7c / If the tutee fails to define the word correctly, the tutor reads the definition from the back of the card and has the tutee repeat it. The tutor then inserts the missed card back into the stack of cards near the beginning and returns to it in a short period of time
7d / After the tutor has gone through the stack of vocabulary cards, he/she starts over from the beginning and presents the words as many tines as possible during the 10 minutes.
7e / After 10 minutes, call time and have students switch roles
8 / During the tutoring, walk around the room, supervising and praising appropriate tutoring behavior and voice level
9 / At the end of the tutoring session, administer a vocabulary quiz on the current words, as well as a few words drawn from earlier chapters or lessons
10 / Collect the papers for grading. (Alternatively, have students exchange papers, correct each other’s answers as you go over each item, and write the percentage of words correctly defined at the top of the paper
11 / Check over all test papers. Provide feedback to the class for scoring errors and adjust pair scores accordingly (this may need to occur on the following day)
12 / When quizzes have been graded, put stars or checks on the chart to indicate which students have received scores of 90% or higher
13 / When both students in the tutoring pair receive 3 consecutive quiz scores of 90% or above, award a homework pass (or other agreed upon reward to each student)
14 / Conduct 1 or 2 additional vocabulary tutoring sessions during the week, as needed, based on the first set of scores.
15 / Administer a more comprehensive vocabulary quiz on Friday
16 / After most student pairs have eared the reward once, administer vocabulary quizzes on a weekly rather than daily basis

Summary

Steps / # of Yes / Total # Possible / %
Part 2: Introduction & Training / 2
Part 3: Implementation / 21
Overall Integrity / 23