ABSTRACT
In the current chapter, we describe Peer Tutoring, an academic intervention used to increase academic and possibly behavioral outcomes of students through tutoring by a peer. Through peer tutoring, students have the opportunity to practice demonstrating and applying knowledge taught and have it further explained or retaught by a peer. Peer tutors are taught to respond positively and provide corrective feedback to their peer tutee as needed. Peer tutoring is especially helpful for adolescents with ADHD for several reasons. First, students with ADHD tend to respond better to one-on-one tutoring from adults. This is not surprising, as the intimacy of this type of teaching helps students maintain attention and engage in instruction, both of which are struggles for students with ADHD, especially when the material is less than exciting to them. When tutors are taught the skills needed, peer tutoring provides many of the same benefits and more. For example, tutees are given numerous opportunities to respond to the instruction and tutors have the opportunity to recognize off task behavior and redirect the tutee to the task. Additionally, adolescents are known to respond to their peers in a more positive manner than to adults. After all, at this stage in life, peers become much more important than adults. This chapter begins with the story of Jaiden, a ninth-grade student with ADHD, who struggles to pay attention, becomes disruptive when redirected by teachers, and his failing algebra. In the chapter, we describe:
four stages of peer tutoring: (1) teacher preparation, (2) tutor training, (3) implementation, and (4) progress monitoring;
two barriers to implementation (teacher instructional control, student hesitancy) and means of overcoming each;
considerations and suggestions for culturally responsive peer tutoring (lesson characteristics, student characteristics);
programming to include peer tutoring with examples of associated CASEL standards, levels of academic achievement, and an associated annual smart goal.
