preview

Peer Assisted Learning Strategies : Early Intervention Reading Program

Good Essays

Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies: Early Intervention Reading Program
Jessica C. Thompson
Corrective & Remedial Reading
University of West Alabama
Abstract
Early intervention reading programs are crucial in helping struggling readers develop the necessary strategies for successful reading. Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) is a supplemental peer-tutoring program that has been proven to be an effective intervention for helping increase the effectiveness of reading instruction. This paper fully describes the PALS program, and it also explores the strengths and weaknesses of the program.
Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies: Early Intervention Reading Program
Developed by Lynn Fuchs and Doug Fuchs in 1997, Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) is a supplemental peer tutoring program (U.S. Department of Education, 2012). It uses the help of stronger students to assist students who have more educational needs. “The purpose of PALS is to strengthen general education’s capacity to meet the academic needs of a broader range of children” (Fuchs, D., Fuchs, L. S., & Burish, P., 2000). The acronym PALS suits the program very well, considering it is a class-wide peer-tutoring program. The program is a combination of peer tutoring and effective instructional techniques.
Teachers strategically pair students based on their reading capabilities and social compatibility. Each pair of students consists of a “coach” and a “player”, and pairs are changed regularly so that all

Get Access