ABSTRACT
Peer tutoring, cross-age tutoring, pupil tutoring: these are all terms used to describe one of the oldest forms of instruction known in human history. This form of co-operative learning, the pairing of one student with another to help in the mastery of a skill, has been used throughout time. Tutoring can be seen to be of advantage to the tutee, in that there is the extra input given in individual teaching. It is also of advantage to the tutor, in that the ‘teacher’ is learning by teaching. A major area in which research has occurred is in schemes set up to improve literacy skills. The effectiveness of tutoring may decline considerably and bad habits emerge. It is more successful to have a break of some weeks before recommencing the tutoring with the same pupils. As a result of co-ordinating and introducing a tutoring programme, the teacher achieves greater autonomy, and freedom from the restrictions imposed in controlling a large class.
