SCHOOLS DIVISIONS OF NUEVA ECIJA

CERTIFICATE OF ACCEPTANCE

This action research proposal entitled “Consort Tutoring on Reading Development of

Grade____pupils of __________________School in improving English
competencies. , prepared and submitted by __________, was evaluated by the
Committee and recommended for acceptance.

---------------------------------------------------------

DIVISION ACTION RESEARCH EVALUATION COMMITTEE

EVELYN SOLIS__Ed.D

OIC –EPS, Esp

RENATO S. TAN Ph.D

EPS 1 – Research

JAYNE M. GARCIA, Ed.D.

Chief, CID

JOHANNA N. GERVACIO, Ph.D.

Asst. Schools Division Superintendent

Chairman

Accepted/Approved on ____________ 2017

RONALDO A. POZON, Ph.d., CESO V

Schools Division Superintendent

1
 SCHOOLS DIVISIONS OF NUEVA ECIJA

CERTIFICATE OF APROVAL

This action research proposal entitled “Consort Tutoring on Reading

Development of Grade____pupils of __________________School in improving
English competencies. ”, prepared and submitted by __________, was evaluated
by the Committee and recommended for acceptance.

---------------------------------------------------------

DIVISION ACTION RESEARCH EVALUATION COMMITTEE

EVELYN SOLIS__Ed.D

OIC –EPS, Esp

RENATO S. TAN Ph.D

EPS 1 – Research

JAYNE M. GARCIA, Ed.D.

Chief, CID

JOHANNA N. GERVACIO, Ph.D.

Asst. Schools Division Superintendent

Chairman

Accepted/Approved on ____________ 2017

RONALDO A. POZON, Ph.d., CESO V

Schools Division Superintendent

ABSTRACT

2
 The main purpose of this research proposal is to determine if the Consort

Tutoring on Reading Development of Grade____pupils of

__________________School in improving English competencies. is a long term

strategy that can effectively improve the English competencies of the pupils in

_____school

Chapter 1

3
 Background of the Study

English subject requires a degree of reading ability since much of what is

learned is actually self-taught. Learning basic facts and theories in Science is

supposed to be read before the experimentation. Failure of the students to learn

the other content subjects of the curriculum may be traced to the inability to

comprehend and group ideas.

Most students learn to read more easily when materials are meaningful to

them and when they are interested in the ideas and pictures and in the way ideas

are creatively presented and expressed. Basically, interest is the touch stone to

reading achievement, reading enjoyment and reading usefulness. It is powerful in

directing the learners’ behaviour.

The act of reading involves a communication between author and reader

during which skilled readers use this background of concepts and experiences to

ask how they can make sense of the content they are reading. They tend to make

mental pictures of what they read and ask questions to themselves and not their

teachers to enhance their understanding of the texts. The strategies which assist

the less skilled readers in performing the skills necessary for successful

comprehension are: determining the importance while reading, self-monitoring

comprehension, making predictions and inference about the text, and questioning

while reading (Tomasso, 2008).

According to Sweet and Snow, the ultimate goal in reading is to

understand, to gain insight and knowledge from the act of reading. Skilled readers

4
construct meaning by synchronizing a bottom–up approach to reading (fluent and

accurate word decoding) with a top–down approach (using background or prior

knowledge and experience during reading). In connection to this, reading

comprehension is viewed by the authors as the process of extracting and

constructing meaning from text. There are those interactive elements which have

impact on comprehension: the reader, the text, and the context. The reader is

doing the comprehension. The capabilities, abilities, knowledge and experiences

of the readers have an impact on the act of reading. The context refers to the

activities of which comprehension is a part.

Individuals construct meaning from the text as they read, absorb new

information and compare it to their pre-existing knowledge. In some cases, the

learners are unable to comprehend text because they have not yet developed

repertoire of strategies for monitoring and supporting their comprehension. Some

learners view reading struggle with comprehension because they are unfamiliar

with various types of texts, poems, narratives, or expository text (Curits and

Longo, 2007).

Students reading skills program is meant to prevent the differences of the

so-called remedial class. A well-designed reading program is one in which

teachers who manage and handle the reading classes are experts in employing

the latest and most effective teaching strategies and well-equipped and adequate

with reading and instructional materials.

Reading is essential to achieve success in the society. The ability to read

5
is highly-valued and important for social and economic advancement. In this

regard, children who are classified as slow readers are given full attention and

extra careful in developing their minds towards remediation in reading.

The teacher’s role has been and always be the most important single

element facilitating the learning process. One of the qualities of a good and

effective teacher is one who utilizes all his background knowledge and resources

in responding to the demands of individuals or of a class as well. Priceless indeed

can compensate with regard to happiness of the teachers when their students are

successfully developed and learned. The most effective person then to take effect

and make a change in reading is the teacher. To acquire needed reading skills

relevant to their personal and academic goals is the aspiration of the teacher.

Thus, the teacher needs to create classroom activities that will encourage

students to read (The Modern Teacher, 2011, p.235).

Many studies related to reading have been conducted already so as to

enhance the reading competencies in every student. Unfortunately, these do not

totally solve the problems in reading. Remedial Reading Instruction Program was

even implemented but still it is observed that many of the students nowadays

cannot read well. This has been also one of the perennial problems among the

Grade 7 students of secondary schools. Every time the reading test is conducted

before the opening of classes in June, it is always observed that few are

considered fast readers, some are average readers, majority are slow readers and

the worst is there are still those who are non-readers. They are not only poor in

reading but also in comprehending what they have read, so much more in

6
expressing themselves.

According to Flemming (2012), students learn in many ways, like seeing,

hearing, and experiencing things firsthand. But for most students, one of these

methods stands out. Research has shown that students can perform better if they

are assisted by their consorts which fit their own personal learning styles

especially in reading.

This situation made the researcher decide to take part in discovering how their

consorts help them improve their learning especially in reading development

The focus of this study is to determine if the implementation of Modular

Professional Entrepreneurship Competencies (Mod-PEC) in Improving

Leadership Skills of Student Leaders in TLE Class is a long term strategy that can

effectively improve the leadership competencies of the students in TLE Class.

Theoretical Framework

This study was anchored on some psychological theories, specifically those

that were applied to learning. As it was often said, learning is better acquired and

mastered as soon as the learner attends to it. The Law of Proximity of Gestalt refers

to the way in which groups are formed according to the way they are spaced, with

the nearer once being grouped together. As applied to learning, this refers to the

closeness in space or in time. Furthermore, it explains why it is easier to remember

recent events and hence more easily joined with the interest of the present;

immediate and regular study periods and doing school requirements tend to result in

a better performance than delayed and erratic study periods do.

7
 Also this study made use of Thorndike’s theory of connectivism which states

that learning has taken place when a strong connection or bond between stimulus

and response is formed. There are several principles derived from this theory: that

learning requires both practices and rewards, a series of S-R connection can be

chained together if they belong to the same action sequence, transfer of learning

occurs because of previously encountered situations and intelligence is a function of

the number of connections learned.

Moreover, this also utilizes Flemming’s theory which states that students can

perform better if they change study habits to fit their own personal learning styles,

such as:

A visual learner is good at spelling but forgets names, needs quiet study time;

has to think awhile before understanding lecture; is good at spelling, likes colors &

fashion, dreams in color, understands/likes charts and is good with sign language;

Auditory learners are those who learn best through hearing things. An

auditory learner is someone who likes to read to self out loud, is not afraid to speak

in class, likes oral reports, is good at explaining, remembers names, notices sound

effects in movies, enjoys music, is good at grammar and foreign language, reads

slowly, follows spoken directions well, cannot keep quiet for long periods, enjoys

acting, being on stage and is good in study groups. Auditory Learners are good at

writing responses to lectures they’ve heard. They are also good at oral exams, and

Kinesthetic learners are those who learn through experiencing/doing things. A

kinesthetic learner is someone who is good at sports, can’t sit still for long, is not

great at spelling, does not have great handwriting, likes science lab, studies with

8
loud music on, likes adventure books, movies, likes role playing, takes breaks when

studying, builds models, is involved in martial arts, dance and is fidgety during

lectures.

Pretest

Consort
Tutoring
Reading Increased
materials Performance in
Reading

Lecture-
Discussion

Posttest

Figure 1

The Research Paradigm

Definition of terms

The following terms are defined according to how they were used in this

research for clarity and better understanding of this study.

9
 Age. It refers to the number of years since his last birthday. It is categorized

as “young” when it falls within the mean, and otherwise considered “old”.

Cross-Age Consort Tutoring: Students of different age groups and/or grade

levels, assisting one another in learning by sharing ideas regarding the topic at

hand.

*DIBELS test: Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills

Gender. It refers to the dichotomous categorization of the management

officer and employee respondents into male and female.

*NWF: Nonsense word fluency, which is the ability to sound out nonsense

words correctly.

*ORF: Oral reading fluency, which is the reading rate of a student. It answers

the question of how fast a student can orally read words on a timed reading test.

Consort Tutoring/Consort-Assisted Learning: Students assisting one

another in learning by sharing ideas regarding the topic at hand.

*PSF: Phoneme segmentation fluency, which is simply the ability to segment

words into their sound parts.

Same-Age Consort Tutoring: Students of the same age groups and/or

grade levels, assisting one another in learning by sharing ideas regarding the topic

at hand.

Statement of the Problem

This study is entitled “Consort Tutoring on Reading Development of

Grade____pupils of __________________School in improving English

10
competencies. ”.

Specifically, it will seek to answer the following questions:

1. How may the socio demographic profile of the respondents be described in terms

of:

1.1 age;

1.2 gender;

1.3 Civil Status;

1.4 Educational attainment

1.5 Length of service

2. What are the effects of Consort Tutoring on Reading Development of

Grade____pupils of __________________School in improving English

competencies.

3. How effective is Consort Tutoring on Reading Development of Grade____pupils

of __________________School in improving English competencies. compare with

those of traditional curricular reading programs?

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study would benefit the following:

The Education. The data obtained could serve as basis in enriching school’s

curriculum. Through this research, the educational sector can be mindful with the

ways on how to improve their instructions not just on the young people but also for

public secondary school heads and teachers who exert all their effort in molding the

student in terms of reading activities. The results of this study will help them to

11
improve more the reading ability of their students.

School Administrator. The findings of the study are reference for short and

long term planning in improving the reading abilities of their students. Administrators

might utilize the findings of the study to work on the specific good governance and

school management that need further improvement or emphasis toward better

management of their teachers especially the students learning deficiencies.

SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

This study deals with the Effectiveness of Consort Tutoring on Reading

Development of Grade____pupils of __________________School in improving

English competencies.. The respondents will include the Grade____________pupils

of ________________________ School handled by the researcher. The

respondents will be selected from the low scores or grades from the English ___

average. This study will be an experimental study wherein the respondents will be

put to experimental study for one grading period. The intervention will include explicit

reading teaching during routinely scheduled reading instruction with Grade 8

students for a time period of one grading period. Consort tutoring will began after the

1st week.

The control group will continue with the traditional reading instruction within

their school.

Data collection will be done using DOBI (direct observation), regular reading

comprehension scores. There will be pre and posttest measures taken from these

tests. The important finding garnered from the research will be in relation to the

12
effects of consort tutoring on fluency, comprehension, and maze measures

13
 Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE

The literature review covers the overview of reading in relation to their

improvement in English class.

Consort tutoring

Consort tutoring is an instructional strategy that consists of student

partnerships, linking high achieving students with lower achieving students or those

with comparable achievement, for structured reading and math study sessions.

According to Rohrbeck, Ginsburg-Block, Fantuzzo, & Miller (2013), peer tutoring is

"systematic, peer-mediated teaching strategies".Peer tutoring is an effective

educational strategy for classrooms of diverse learners because it promotes

academic gains as well as social enhancement. Programs can be successfully

implemented at the classroom-level or on a wider scale at the school — or district-

level. With administrative support and professional development, peer tutoring can

help teachers cope with challenges such as limited instructional time, multiple

curricular requirements, and appropriate social engagement among students.

Students engage in active learning while staying abreast of the progress they are

making. They are held accountable for their achievement, and motivated by social or

tangible rewards.

Goal of Consort Tutoring

A goal of Consort tutoring is to create self-managed learners with high self-

esteem. Consort tutoring is particularly advantageous in inclusive classrooms

because it allows teachers to address a wide range of learning needs and engages

all students simultaneously. Regardless of ability level, students can engage in and

learn from the lesson. Furthermore, the collaborative learning aspect of the strategy

encourages positive social interaction between students in a classroom. By including

traditional instructional strategies along with peer tutoring, teachers can utilize the

ability differences inherent in an inclusive classroom, and promote accessible and

successful learning for all.

Consort Tutoring to Facilitate Access

Consort tutoring links high achieving students with lower achieving students

or those with comparable achievement for structured learning. It promotes academic

gains as well as social enhancement. This brief discusses three research-supported

peer tutoring strategies: Cross-Age Tutoring; Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies

(PALS); and Reciprocal Peer Tutoring (RPT).

With the passage of No Child Left Behind, education professionals are seeking

research-supported practices that are applicable in classrooms and facilitate access

to the general curriculum for students with disabilities.

Peer tutoring incorporates research-supported practices with individualized

instruction, which can be adapted to meet individual student needs. This brief

introduces peer tutoring, an instructional method that facilitates access to the

general education curriculum for students with disabilities. Targeted audiences

include state and local technical assistance (TA) providers, administrators, and

educators. This brief provides: (1) a definition of peer tutoring; (2) a brief description

of three examples of peer tutoring, including how it promotes access to the general
 education curriculum and evidence of effectiveness; and (3) references for follow-up

information.

It should also be noted that the references included in this brief have been

cross-referenced with the extensive literature reviewed on peer assisted learning by

the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) as of July 2004. Eight references in this brief

have been reviewed by the WWC, thus far. Of those eight, two passed the WWC

criteria for evidence standards in the area of Reciprocal Peer Tutoring (Fantuzzo,

J.W., Davis, G.Y., Ginsburg, M.D., 2015; Fantuzzo, J.W., King, J.A., & Heller, L.R.,

2012).

There has been extensive research on peer tutoring. Studies show:

 Use of cooperative learning structures and "group reward contingencies" can

increase social motivation (Johnson, Maruyama, Nelson, & Skon, 2014; Wentzel,

2014; Slavin, 2012).

 Level of engagement influences student motivation to achieve classroom goals

(Ryan & Deci, 2014).

 Peer tutoring is an economically and educationally effective intervention for persons

with disabilities that can benefit both the tutor and tutee, socially and educationally

by motivating them to learn (Miller & Miller, 2015).

 Peer tutoring interventions were more effective or showed greater gains for: a)

students in grades 1-3; b) urban settings; c) low socio-economic areas; d) minority

students; e) school-wide prevention programs; and f) when students controlled

tutoring sessions (Rohrbeck, et al., 2013).

 Peer tutoring gives teachers the capability to accommodate a classroom of diverse

learners to improve academic achievement across ability levels and content areas

(Cohen, Kulik & Kulik, 2015; Cook, Scruggs, Mastropieri, & Casto, 2011; Johnson,

Maruyama, Nelson & Skon, 2014).

This brief discusses three research-supported peer tutoring strategies: Cross-Age

Tutoring, Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS), and Reciprocal Peer Tutoring

(RPT). Variations exist among these strategies (e.g., some have flexible structures;

others have very specific directions for implementation) but the underlying theory is

consistent.

Consort tutoring

Consort tutoring is an instructional strategy that consists of student

partnerships, linking high achieving students with lower achieving students or those

with comparable achievement, for structured reading and math study sessions.

According to Rohrbeck, Ginsburg-Block, Fantuzzo, & Miller (2013), peer tutoring is

"systematic, peer-mediated teaching strategies".Peer tutoring is an effective

educational strategy for classrooms of diverse learners because it promotes

academic gains as well as social enhancement. Programs can be successfully

implemented at the classroom-level or on a wider scale at the school — or district-

level. With administrative support and professional development, peer tutoring can

help teachers cope with challenges such as limited instructional time, multiple

curricular requirements, and appropriate social engagement among students.

Students engage in active learning while staying abreast of the progress they are
making. They are held accountable for their achievement, and motivated by social or

tangible rewards.

Consort Tutoring to Facilitate Access

Consort tutoring links high achieving students with lower achieving students

or those with comparable achievement for structured learning. It promotes academic

gains as well as social enhancement. This brief discusses three research-supported

peer tutoring strategies: Cross-Age Tutoring; Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies

(PALS); and Reciprocal Peer Tutoring (RPT).

With the passage of No Child Left Behind, education professionals are seeking

research-supported practices that are applicable in classrooms and facilitate access

to the general curriculum for students with disabilities.

Peer tutoring incorporates research-supported practices with individualized

instruction, which can be adapted to meet individual student needs. This brief

introduces peer tutoring, an instructional method that facilitates access to the

general education curriculum for students with disabilities. Targeted audiences

include state and local technical assistance (TA) providers, administrators, and

educators. This brief provides: (1) a definition of peer tutoring; (2) a brief description

of three examples of peer tutoring, including how it promotes access to the general

education curriculum and evidence of effectiveness; and (3) references for follow-up

information.

It should also be noted that the references included in this brief have been

cross-referenced with the extensive literature reviewed on peer assisted learning by

the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) as of July 2004. Eight references in this brief
 have been reviewed by the WWC, thus far. Of those eight, two passed the WWC

criteria for evidence standards in the area of Reciprocal Peer Tutoring (Fantuzzo,

J.W., Davis, G.Y., Ginsburg, M.D., 2015; Fantuzzo, J.W., King, J.A., & Heller, L.R.,

2012).

There has been extensive research on peer tutoring. Studies show:

 Use of cooperative learning structures and "group reward contingencies" can

increase social motivation (Johnson, Maruyama, Nelson, & Skon, 2014; Wentzel,

2014; Slavin, 2012).

 Level of engagement influences student motivation to achieve classroom goals

(Ryan & Deci, 2014).

 Peer tutoring is an economically and educationally effective intervention for persons

with disabilities that can benefit both the tutor and tutee, socially and educationally

by motivating them to learn (Miller & Miller, 2015).

 Peer tutoring interventions were more effective or showed greater gains for: a)

students in grades 1-3; b) urban settings; c) low socio-economic areas; d) minority

students; e) school-wide prevention programs; and f) when students controlled

tutoring sessions (Rohrbeck, et al., 2013).

 Peer tutoring gives teachers the capability to accommodate a classroom of diverse

learners to improve academic achievement across ability levels and content areas

(Cohen, Kulik & Kulik, 2015; Cook, Scruggs, Mastropieri, & Casto, 2011; Johnson,

Maruyama, Nelson & Skon, 2014).

This brief discusses three research-supported peer tutoring strategies: Cross-

Age Tutoring, Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS), and Reciprocal Peer

Tutoring (RPT). Variations exist among these strategies (e.g., some have flexible

structures; others have very specific directions for implementation) but the

underlying theory is consistent. The chart below provides a brief comparison of

approaches.
The Benefits of Peer Tutoring in Reading Comprehension

Academic Improvement: The benefits to having a peer tutoring program in

your classroom or in your school are extensive. First and foremost, peer tutoring

improves reading accuracy and comprehension In a program that uses reading

partners, one older and one younger student, the results showed that students

improved between three and four times the expected rates in accuracy and

comprehension (Miller et al., 2010). In programs set up like these, the younger

students learn to use a wide range of new reading skills, and they become more

skilled at selecting good books at their own reading level (Samway et al., 2015). The

tutors, on the other hand, not only gain competence in the subject matter and in their

reading, but in their social skills as well.

Personal Benefits: Amongst all students that took part in a paired reading

program, improvements were reported in motivation, enjoyment, confidence, relating

to others, and self-esteem (Miller et al. 2010). In addition to helping out students

socially, peer tutoring helps students to feel a sense of belonging and fosters

community within a school or classroom (Foster-Harrison, 2011). While peer tutoring

united the community, it also gives students a newfound respect for their educators.

Many of the older students that took place in a paired reading program reported that

they had gained a new appreciation for their teachers, for they now knew what it felt

like to become teachers themselves (Samway et al., 2015).

 Who benefits: All students can benefit from peer tutoring. However, research

does show that there are some types of students that benefit more than others.

Students of low-socioeconomic status gained significantly more from peer tutoring

than students of high-socioeconomic status. Also, students who started off with a

lower reading ability gained significantly more, with girls gaining more than boys

(Topping et al., 2011). Lastly, students with learning disabilities were proven to

benefit a lot from peer tutoring programs. Research found that in an everyday

classroom, students with learning disabilities spent very little time actively

participating in class (Maheady & Gard, 2010). Peer tutoring gave them the chances

they needed to become active participants in their education, and they were able to

open up to their peers in ways that they couldn’t with their teachers.

Effectiveness of Consort Tutoring in Reading

Several studies concluded that peer assisted learning has a significant impact

on student achievement in the secondary grades and some impact at the high

school and college levels. Much of the research in regard to peer assisted learning

entailed similar attributes: student roles, student training to act as a coach or tutor,

and a game format. The goals of peer assisted learning also shares much

commonality across various research: to provide students with effective

interventions to promote academic achievement. Research demonstrates the peer

assisted learning model as an effective tool to promote a collaborative learning

environment in an area of increasing curricular and assessment mandates.

Increasing Active Student Responding and Improving Academic Performance

Through Classwide Peer Tutoring Mayer (2015) presented the effects of

performance based on the implementation of the Classwide Peer Tutoring (CWPT)

instructional model. The CWPT involves the entire class with peer tutoring using a

game format. This format included all content areas and required thirty minutes of

class time. With this format students are paired randomly or by ability with tutoring

pairs changing on a weekly basis. The roles during CWPT are exchanged during the

daily tutoring session to allow for students to be the tutor/teacher and tutee/student,

a format similar to the PALS program. The population of students included those

with learning disabilities, behavior disorders, autism, mild mental retardation, and

hearing or language impairment. One specific study referenced the study conducted

by Greenwood, Delquadri, and Hall (2011) that employed an experimental-control

group design to compare the outcome effect of the CWPT intervention model with

sixty four inner-city students with learning disabilities. The third grade students

received reading instruction using a CWPT model at school, parent tutoring at home,

and the regular school program. After a three month implementation using this

model results indicated that oral reading error rates for students “were significantly

reduced compared to each group’s pre assessment levels and in relationship to both

the LD control group and the non-LD normative group” (Mayer, 2015, p. 91).

Observation data also indicated that the students receiving tutoring using the

CWPT model spent more time engaged in oral and silent reading behaviors.

Although this study was conducted with subjects with learning disabilities, empirical

evidence is presented in this article in support of the CWPT model as an effective

procedure for increasing curricular learning for students with or without disabilities.

Surveys were also conducted with teachers, parents, and students indicating a high
degree of satisfaction with the tutoring procedure and effects on reading

performance (p. 92). Yet the study did not indicate the method used to collect survey

data. Studies were also done with the CWPT model in relation to basic math facts

and other content areas. The CWPT intervention model strives to provide educators

an approach to individualize instruction, opportunity for active engagement, and

immediate error correction with positive feedback. Further research also indicated

that the CWPT model served as a tool in development of the Peer-Assisted Learning

Strategies program.

Peer Tutoring with or without Home-Based Reinforcement, for Reading

Remediation

Trovato and Bucher (2011) investigated an operant-based corrective reading

program to study the effectiveness of peer tutoring with students demonstrating

reading deficiency. Ninety students were selected from seven secondary schools

from grades 2-6through a variety of referral sources: those identified as deficient in

reading skills, those identified by grade records and teacher interviews, and those

students whose parents expressed interest in participation with the home-based

program.

Although ninety students were selected, sixty-nine participants remained for

the entirety of the study. The sixty-nine students were randomly assigned to three

groups: control group (C), peer tutoring (PT), and peer tutoring plus home-based

reinforcement (HB). Students were selected based on pre-test scores, teacher

interviews, and parent interviews. Two pre-test scores were student initial test

scores from the Spache Diagnostic Reading test (oral reading and comprehension

subscales) and the third pre-test score came from SRA starter stories. The twenty-
three students in the peer tutoring group received peer tutoring for about thirty

minutes a day. The twenty-three in the peer tutoring plus home-based reinforcement

received the same time of peer tutoring at school, but also received reinforcement

work at home which could be rewarded with points for accurate oral reading and

comprehension. The control group consisted of twenty-three students that were

enrolled in in-school remedial reading programs with inclass instruction and no

attempt was made to control the instruction received in this group. The materials

used were the basic reading from the SRA Reading Kit and the Fry reading formula.

For this study peer tutors were chosen from senior grades (6-8) within the school.

The peer tutors were trained using a tutor manual which described the process step-

bystep.

After training the peer tutors were assigned a student to work with in a

tutoring room for the designated time. The tutor used the SRA materials box to

choose appropriate daily reading materials. The student read from the book and the

tutor wasresponsible for recording errors and providing support. Upon completion of

each tutoring session students received chips for each comprehension question

answered correctly. The students included in the home-based reinforcement group

followed the same peer tutoring procedure, but also had a point transfer card to be

used at home to track points earned at home. The overall results of change in

reading ability was assessed using the pre-test data and the post-test data using the

oral reading and comprehension subscales of the Spache Diagnostic Reading Scale

and the test of reading ability of the SRA Starter Stories. The results from this study

indicated progress made during the peer tutoring study across the three groups. The
first results are based on the instruction level subscale of the Spache Diagnostic

Reading Scales measured oral reading fluency. The average gain from pretest to

posttest for the home-based group was 1.27 years (.5 to 3.2). The average gain for

the peer tutoring group was .77 years (range .0 to 1.7). The average gain for the

control was .19 years (-2.7 to .7). The next set of results is based on the SRA Starter

Stories assessment. The average gain from pretest to posttest for the home-based

group was 1.35 years (range .0 to 2.7). The average gain for the peer tutoring group

was .95 years (range .0 to 1.8). While the average gain for the control group was .23

years. The results of this study indicate from the pretest and posttest data that the

students involved with the home-based reinforcement group outperformed the peer

tutoring children who were not given the home-based support. Both the home-based

group and the peer tutoring group outperformed the control group students based on

data. The authors concluded that peer tutoring was effective in increasing oral

reading and comprehension performance with students identified as having reading

deficiencies.

Evidence of effectiveness of Consort Tutoring in Student Reading Ability

There has been considerable research on the outcomes of Cross-Age

Tutoring. A meta-analysis conducted by Cohen, Kulik, & Kulik (2015) reported

moderate improvements in tutee and tutor achievement, tutor self-concept, and

attitude towards the content area. Math effects tended to be stronger than in

reading. Student achievement faired better in short, structured approaches

(Kalkowski, 2015). Other studies report:

 Cross-Age Tutoring results in: "learning academic skills, developing social behaviors

and discipline, and enhancing peer relationships" (Greenwood, Carta, & Hall, 2012,

p. 264).

 Cross-Age Tutoring enhances the social skills of the student involved in the sessions

(Foot, Shute, Morgan & Barron, 2012; Utley & Mortweet, 2011).

 Students benefit academically through practice and communication and self-esteem

increases through social interaction and contribution to classroom learning

(Gaustad, 2015).

 Cross-Age Tutoring can enhance self-esteem among older students who provide

individualized instruction to tutees, and result in a more cooperative classroom and

an improved school atmosphere (Gaustad, 2015; Gerber & Kaufman, 2014;

Kalkowski, 2015; Schrader & Valus, 2012; Topping, 2012; Utley & Mortweet, 2011).

 Unlike Cross-Age Tutoring, PALS is a structured peer tutoring program. PALS

was developed in 1989 by Dr. Lynn Fuchs and Dr. Doug Fuchs (2015) in

conjunction with Dr. Deborah Simmons. The strategies were derived from the

Fuchs' interest in developing a peer-mediated instructional strategy that

incorporated elements of other research-based methods including Class-

Wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT), Classroom-Based Measurement (CBM),

Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC), and Reciprocal

Teaching. Developers used these methods to enable a wider range of

students to participate and increase success in school.

 PALS offers specific programs in math and reading. Reading PALS is

available for preschool through 6th grade and for 9th grade through 12th
 grade, with variations available for some grade levels. Math PALS is available

for kindergarten through 6th grade. In both content areas, the PAL strategies

are designed to complement and not replace existing classroom reading and

math curricula and instructional methods. In this structured peer tutoring

program students pair off into player and coach roles to promote an equitable

exchange; students exchange roles of player and coach during tutoring

sessions.

 The pairing of higher- and lower-achieving students is intended so students

gain knowledge from each other through practice and reinforcement (students

are still within the same skill level, there is not a huge discrepancy between

ability levels). Teachers must carefully describe how the PALS strategies are

done and how they relate to a particular lesson; they must closely monitor the

roles taken on by each student, and interject when instruction is needed

(Fuchs, Fuchs, Thompson, Svenson, Yen, Al Otaiba, Yang, McMaster,

Prentice, Kazdan, & Saenz, 2002)

Three high-quality experiments and quasi experiments have evaluated the

effectiveness of English learners working in pairs in a structured fashion several

times a week.2 These studies spanned virtually all of the secondary grade levels. All

these studies demonstrated positive impacts on reading achievement for students at

various ability levels. Two additional studies provide evidence of the positive impact

of student activities in cooperative groups of four to six students. 3 Although less

evidence supports cooperative groups than pairs of students working together, the
guidance here is relevant for districts wanting to implement some type of cooperative

learning structure in their schools.

Of the five studies, two were reviewed by the What Works Clearinghouse and

rated as providing potentially positive effects on reading achievement. 4 One of the

two met the Clearinghouse evidence standards 5 and the other met the standards

with reservations.

Partner work is an opportunity for students to practice and extend what the

teacher has taught during regular instruction. Partner work is excellent for tasks in

which correct and incorrect responses can be clearly determined (word and text

reading and phonological awareness activities, such as identifying sounds in words).

However, evidence also demonstrates that partner activities can build skills

for tasks in which correct and incorrect responses are harder to determine, such as

reading comprehension and other tasks that require student explanations. In three of

the five studies, students worked in pairs to practice, consolidate, and extend

prereading, decoding, comprehension, and spelling skills. In each of the studies

student pairs, with different abilities in either reading or English language proficiency,

were provided with clear instructional activities and taught procedures for working

effectively with peers. Teachers used guides that included prompt cards and

activities for students.

Impact to Student Achievement

Several studies concluded that consort assisted learning has a

significant impact on student achievement in the secondary grades and some impact

at the high school and college levels. Much of the research in regard to consort
assisted learning entailed similar attributes: student roles, student training to act as a

coach or tutor, and a game format.

The goals of consort assisted learning also shares much commonality

across various research: to provide students with effective interventions to promote

academic achievement. Research demonstrates the consort assisted learning model

as an effective tool to promote a collaborative learning environment in an area of

increasing curricular and assessment mandates.

Increasing Active Student Responding and Improving Academic

Performance Through Class wide Consort Tutoring Mayer (2012) presented the

effects of performance based on the implementation of the Class wide Consort

Tutoring (CWPT) instructional model. The CWPT involves the entire class with

consort tutoring using a game format. This format included all content areas and

required thirty minutes of class time. With this format students are paired randomly

or by ability with tutoring pairs changing on a weekly basis. The roles during CWPT

are exchanged during the daily tutoring session to allow for students to be the

tutor/teacher and tutee/student, a format similar to the PALS program. The

population of students included those with learning disabilities, behavior disorders,

autism, mild mental retardation, and hearing or language impairment.

One specific study referenced the study conducted by Greenwood,

Delquadri, and Hall (2011) that employed an experimental-control group design to

compare the outcome effect of the CWPT intervention model with sixty four inner-

city students with learning disabilities. The third grade students received reading

instruction using a CWPT model at school, parent tutoring at home, and the regular
school program. After a three month implementation using this model results

indicated that oral reading error rates for students “were significantly reduced

compared to each group’s pre assessment levels and in relationship to both the LD

control group and the non-LD normative group” (Mayer,

2012, p. 91). Observation data also indicated that the students receiving tutoring

using the CWPT model spent more time engaged in oral and silent reading

behaviors. Although this study was conducted with subjects with learning disabilities,

empirical evidence is presented in this article in support of the CWPT model as an

effective procedure for increasing curricular learning for students with or without

disabilities.

Surveys were also conducted with teachers, parents, and students

indicating a high degree of satisfaction with the tutoring procedure and effects on

reading performance (p. 92). Yet the study did not indicate the method used to

collect survey data. Studies were also done with the CWPT model in relation to

basic math facts and other content areas. The CWPT intervention model strives to

provide educators an approach to individualize instruction, opportunity for active

engagement, and immediate error correction with positive feedback. Further

research also indicated that the CWPT model served as a tool in development of the

Consort-Assisted Learning Strategies program.

Consort Tutoring as an Effective Instructional Strategy 11 through a

variety of referral sources: those identified as deficient in reading skills, those

identified by grade records and teacher interviews, and those students whose

parents expressed interest in participation with the home-based program. Although

ninety students were selected, sixty-nine participants remained for the entirety of the

study. The sixty-nine students were randomly assigned to three groups: control

group (C), consort tutoring (PT), and consort tutoring plus home-based

reinforcement (HB).

Students were selected based on pre-test scores, teacher interviews,

and parent interviews. Two pre-test scores were student initial test scores from the

Spache

Diagnostic Reading test (oral reading and comprehension subscales) and the third

pre-test score came from SRA starter stories. The twenty-three students in the

consort tutoring group received consort tutoring for about thirty minutes a day. The

twenty-three in the consort tutoring plus home-based reinforcement received the

same time of consort tutoring at school, but also received reinforcement work at

home which could be rewarded with points for accurate oral reading and

comprehension. The control group consisted of twenty-three students that were

enrolled in in-school remedial reading programs with in class instruction and no

attempt was made to control the instruction received in this group. The materials

used were the basic reading from the SRA Reading Kit and the Fry reading formula.

For this study consort tutors were chosen from senior grades (6-8) within

the school.

The consort tutors were trained using a tutor manual which described

the process step-by-step. After training the consort tutors were assigned a student to

work with in a tutoring room for the designated time. The tutor used the SRA

materials box to choose appropriate daily reading materials. The student read from
the book and the tutor was responsible for recording errors and providing support.

Upon completion of each tutoring session students received chips for each

comprehension question answered correctly. The students included in the home-

based reinforcement group followed the same consort tutoring procedure, but also

had a point transfer card to be used at home to track points earned at home.

The overall results of change in reading ability was assessed using the

pre-test data and the post-test data using the oral reading and comprehension

subscales of the Spache Diagnostic Reading Scale and the test of reading ability of

the SRA Starter Stories. The results from this study indicated progress made during

the consort tutoring study across the three groups. The first results are based on the

instruction level subscale of the Spache Diagnostic Reading Scales measured oral

reading fluency. The average gain from pretest to posttest for the home-based group

was 1.27 years (.5 to 3.2). The average gain for the consort tutoring group was .77

years (range .0 to 1.7). The average gain for the control was .19 years (-2.7 to .7).

The next set of results is based on the SRA Starter Stories assessment.

The average gain from pretest to posttest for the home-based group was

1.35 years (range .0 to 2.7). The average gain for the consort tutoring group was

.95 years (range .0 to 1.8). While the average gain for the control group was .23

years. The results of this study indicate from the pretest and posttest data that the

students involved with the home-based reinforcement group outperformed the

consort tutoring children who were not given the home-based support. Both the

home-based group and the consort tutoring group outperformed the control group

students based on data. The authors concluded that consort tutoring was effective in
increasing oral reading and comprehension performance with students identified as

having reading deficiencies.

The Benefits of Peer Tutoring in Reading Comprehension

Academic Improvement: The benefits to having a peer tutoring program in

your classroom or in your school are extensive. First and foremost, peer tutoring

improves reading accuracy and comprehension In a program that uses reading

partners, one older and one younger student, the results showed that students

improved between three and four times the expected rates in accuracy and

comprehension (Miller et al., 2010). In programs set up like these, the younger

students learn to use a wide range of new reading skills, and they become more

skilled at selecting good books at their own reading level (Samway et al., 2015). The

tutors, on the other hand, not only gain competence in the subject matter and in their

reading, but in their social skills as well.

 Personal Benefits: Amongst all students that took part in a paired reading

program, improvements were reported in motivation, enjoyment, confidence, relating

to others, and self-esteem (Miller et al. 2010). In addition to helping out students

socially, peer tutoring helps students to feel a sense of belonging and fosters

community within a school or classroom (Foster-Harrison, 2011). While peer tutoring

united the community, it also gives students a newfound respect for their educators.

Many of the older students that took place in a paired reading program reported that

they had gained a new appreciation for their teachers, for they now knew what it felt

like to become teachers themselves (Samway et al., 2015).

Who benefits: All students can benefit from peer tutoring. However, research

does show that there are some types of students that benefit more than others.

Students of low-socioeconomic status gained significantly more from peer tutoring

than students of high-socioeconomic status. Also, students who started off with a

lower reading ability gained significantly more, with girls gaining more than boys

(Topping et al., 2011). Lastly, students with learning disabilities were proven to

benefit a lot from peer tutoring programs. Research found that in an everyday

classroom, students with learning disabilities spent very little time actively

participating in class (Maheady & Gard, 2010). Peer tutoring gave them the chances

they needed to become active participants in their education, and they were able to

open up to their peers in ways that they couldn’t with their teachers.

Effectiveness of Consort Tutoring in Reading

Several studies concluded that peer assisted learning has a significant impact

on student achievement in the secondary grades and some impact at the high
school and college levels. Much of the research in regard to peer assisted learning

entailed similar attributes: student roles, student training to act as a coach or tutor,

and a game format. The goals of peer assisted learning also shares much

commonality across various research: to provide students with effective

interventions to promote academic achievement. Research demonstrates the peer

assisted learning model as an effective tool to promote a collaborative learning

environment in an area of increasing curricular and assessment mandates.

Increasing Active Student Responding and Improving Academic Performance

Through Classwide Peer Tutoring Mayer (2015) presented the effects of

performance based on the implementation of the Classwide Peer Tutoring (CWPT)

instructional model. The CWPT involves the entire class with peer tutoring using a

game format. This format included all content areas and required thirty minutes of

class time. With this format students are paired randomly or by ability with tutoring

pairs changing on a weekly basis. The roles during CWPT are exchanged during the

daily tutoring session to allow for students to be the tutor/teacher and tutee/student,

a format similar to the PALS program. The population of students included those

with learning disabilities, behavior disorders, autism, mild mental retardation, and

hearing or language impairment. One specific study referenced the study conducted

by Greenwood, Delquadri, and Hall (2011) that employed an experimental-control

group design to compare the outcome effect of the CWPT intervention model with

sixty four inner-city students with learning disabilities. The third grade students

received reading instruction using a CWPT model at school, parent tutoring at home,

and the regular school program. After a three month implementation using this
model results indicated that oral reading error rates for students “were significantly

reduced compared to each group’s pre assessment levels and in relationship to both

the LD control group and the non-LD normative group” (Mayer, 2015, p. 91).

Observation data also indicated that the students receiving tutoring using the

CWPT model spent more time engaged in oral and silent reading behaviors.

Although this study was conducted with subjects with learning disabilities, empirical

evidence is presented in this article in support of the CWPT model as an effective

procedure for increasing curricular learning for students with or without disabilities.

Surveys were also conducted with teachers, parents, and students indicating a high

degree of satisfaction with the tutoring procedure and effects on reading

performance (p. 92). Yet the study did not indicate the method used to collect survey

data. Studies were also done with the CWPT model in relation to basic math facts

and other content areas. The CWPT intervention model strives to provide educators

an approach to individualize instruction, opportunity for active engagement, and

immediate error correction with positive feedback. Further research also indicated

that the CWPT model served as a tool in development of the Peer-Assisted Learning

Strategies program.

Peer Tutoring with or without Home-Based Reinforcement, for Reading

Remediation

Trovato and Bucher (2011) investigated an operant-based corrective reading

program to study the effectiveness of peer tutoring with students demonstrating

reading deficiency. Ninety students were selected from seven secondary schools

from grades 2-6through a variety of referral sources: those identified as deficient in

reading skills, those identified by grade records and teacher interviews, and those
students whose parents expressed interest in participation with the home-based

program.

Although ninety students were selected, sixty-nine participants remained for

the entirety of the study. The sixty-nine students were randomly assigned to three

groups: control group (C), peer tutoring (PT), and peer tutoring plus home-based

reinforcement (HB). Students were selected based on pre-test scores, teacher

interviews, and parent interviews. Two pre-test scores were student initial test

scores from the Spache Diagnostic Reading test (oral reading and comprehension

subscales) and the third pre-test score came from SRA starter stories. The twenty-

three students in the peer tutoring group received peer tutoring for about thirty

minutes a day. The twenty-three in the peer tutoring plus home-based reinforcement

received the same time of peer tutoring at school, but also received reinforcement

work at home which could be rewarded with points for accurate oral reading and

comprehension. The control group consisted of twenty-three students that were

enrolled in in-school remedial reading programs with inclass instruction and no

attempt was made to control the instruction received in this group. The materials

used were the basic reading from the SRA Reading Kit and the Fry reading formula.

For this study peer tutors were chosen from senior grades (6-8) within the school.

The peer tutors were trained using a tutor manual which described the process step-

bystep.

After training the peer tutors were assigned a student to work with in a

tutoring room for the designated time. The tutor used the SRA materials box to

choose appropriate daily reading materials. The student read from the book and the
tutor wasresponsible for recording errors and providing support. Upon completion of

each tutoring session students received chips for each comprehension question

answered correctly. The students included in the home-based reinforcement group

followed the same peer tutoring procedure, but also had a point transfer card to be

used at home to track points earned at home. The overall results of change in

reading ability was assessed using the pre-test data and the post-test data using the

oral reading and comprehension subscales of the Spache Diagnostic Reading Scale

and the test of reading ability of the SRA Starter Stories. The results from this study

indicated progress made during the peer tutoring study across the three groups. The

first results are based on the instruction level subscale of the Spache Diagnostic

Reading Scales measured oral reading fluency. The average gain from pretest to

posttest for the home-based group was 1.27 years (.5 to 3.2). The average gain for

the peer tutoring group was .77 years (range .0 to 1.7). The average gain for the

control was .19 years (-2.7 to .7). The next set of results is based on the SRA Starter

Stories assessment. The average gain from pretest to posttest for the home-based

group was 1.35 years (range .0 to 2.7). The average gain for the peer tutoring group

was .95 years (range .0 to 1.8). While the average gain for the control group was .23

years. The results of this study indicate from the pretest and posttest data that the

students involved with the home-based reinforcement group outperformed the peer

tutoring children who were not given the home-based support. Both the home-based

group and the peer tutoring group outperformed the control group students based on

data. The authors concluded that peer tutoring was effective in increasing oral

reading and comprehension performance with students identified as having reading

 deficiencies.

Evidence of effectiveness of Consort Tutoring in Student Reading Ability

There has been considerable research on the outcomes of Cross-Age

Tutoring. A meta-analysis conducted by Cohen, Kulik, & Kulik (2015) reported

moderate improvements in tutee and tutor achievement, tutor self-concept, and

attitude towards the content area. Math effects tended to be stronger than in

reading. Student achievement faired better in short, structured approaches

(Kalkowski, 2015). Other studies report:

 Cross-Age Tutoring results in: "learning academic skills, developing social behaviors

and discipline, and enhancing peer relationships" (Greenwood, Carta, & Hall, 2012,

p. 264).

 Cross-Age Tutoring enhances the social skills of the student involved in the sessions

(Foot, Shute, Morgan & Barron, 2012; Utley & Mortweet, 2011).

 Students benefit academically through practice and communication and self-esteem

increases through social interaction and contribution to classroom learning

(Gaustad, 2015).

 Cross-Age Tutoring can enhance self-esteem among older students who provide

individualized instruction to tutees, and result in a more cooperative classroom and

an improved school atmosphere (Gaustad, 2015; Gerber & Kaufman, 2014;

Kalkowski, 2015; Schrader & Valus, 2012; Topping, 2012; Utley & Mortweet, 2011).

 Unlike Cross-Age Tutoring, PALS is a structured peer tutoring program. PALS

was developed in 1989 by Dr. Lynn Fuchs and Dr. Doug Fuchs (2015) in

conjunction with Dr. Deborah Simmons. The strategies were derived from the
 Fuchs' interest in developing a peer-mediated instructional strategy that

incorporated elements of other research-based methods including Class-

Wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT), Classroom-Based Measurement (CBM),

Cooperative Integrated Reading and Composition (CIRC), and Reciprocal

Teaching. Developers used these methods to enable a wider range of

students to participate and increase success in school.

 PALS offers specific programs in math and reading. Reading PALS is

available for preschool through 6th grade and for 9th grade through 12th

grade, with variations available for some grade levels. Math PALS is available

for kindergarten through 6th grade. In both content areas, the PAL strategies

are designed to complement and not replace existing classroom reading and

math curricula and instructional methods. In this structured peer tutoring

program students pair off into player and coach roles to promote an equitable

exchange; students exchange roles of player and coach during tutoring

sessions.

 The pairing of higher- and lower-achieving students is intended so students

gain knowledge from each other through practice and reinforcement (students

are still within the same skill level, there is not a huge discrepancy between

ability levels). Teachers must carefully describe how the PALS strategies are

done and how they relate to a particular lesson; they must closely monitor the

roles taken on by each student, and interject when instruction is needed

(Fuchs, Fuchs, Thompson, Svenson, Yen, Al Otaiba, Yang, McMaster,

Prentice, Kazdan, & Saenz, 2002)

 Three high-quality experiments and quasi experiments have evaluated the

effectiveness of English learners working in pairs in a structured fashion several

times a week.2 These studies spanned virtually all of the secondary grade levels. All

these studies demonstrated positive impacts on reading achievement for students at

various ability levels. Two additional studies provide evidence of the positive impact

of student activities in cooperative groups of four to six students. 3 Although less

evidence supports cooperative groups than pairs of students working together, the

guidance here is relevant for districts wanting to implement some type of cooperative

learning structure in their schools.

Of the five studies, two were reviewed by the What Works Clearinghouse and

rated as providing potentially positive effects on reading achievement. 4 One of the

two met the Clearinghouse evidence standards 5 and the other met the standards

with reservations.

Partner work is an opportunity for students to practice and extend what the

teacher has taught during regular instruction. Partner work is excellent for tasks in

which correct and incorrect responses can be clearly determined (word and text

reading and phonological awareness activities, such as identifying sounds in words).

However, evidence also demonstrates that partner activities can build skills

for tasks in which correct and incorrect responses are harder to determine, such as

reading comprehension and other tasks that require student explanations. In three of

the five studies, students worked in pairs to practice, consolidate, and extend

prereading, decoding, comprehension, and spelling skills. In each of the studies

student pairs, with different abilities in either reading or English language proficiency,
were provided with clear instructional activities and taught procedures for working

effectively with peers. Teachers used guides that included prompt cards and

activities for students.

Impact to Student Achievement

Several studies concluded that consort assisted learning has a

significant impact on student achievement in the secondary grades and some impact

at the high school and college levels. Much of the research in regard to consort

assisted learning entailed similar attributes: student roles, student training to act as a

coach or tutor, and a game format.

The goals of consort assisted learning also shares much commonality

across various research: to provide students with effective interventions to promote

academic achievement. Research demonstrates the consort assisted learning model

as an effective tool to promote a collaborative learning environment in an area of

increasing curricular and assessment mandates.

Increasing Active Student Responding and Improving Academic

Performance Through Class wide Consort Tutoring Mayer (2012) presented the

effects of performance based on the implementation of the Class wide Consort

Tutoring (CWPT) instructional model. The CWPT involves the entire class with

consort tutoring using a game format. This format included all content areas and

required thirty minutes of class time. With this format students are paired randomly

or by ability with tutoring pairs changing on a weekly basis. The roles during CWPT

are exchanged during the daily tutoring session to allow for students to be the

tutor/teacher and tutee/student, a format similar to the PALS program. The

population of students included those with learning disabilities, behavior disorders,

autism, mild mental retardation, and hearing or language impairment.

One specific study referenced the study conducted by Greenwood,

Delquadri, and Hall (2011) that employed an experimental-control group design to

compare the outcome effect of the CWPT intervention model with sixty four inner-

city students with learning disabilities. The third grade students received reading

instruction using a CWPT model at school, parent tutoring at home, and the regular

school program. After a three month implementation using this model results

indicated that oral reading error rates for students “were significantly reduced

compared to each group’s pre assessment levels and in relationship to both the LD

control group and the non-LD normative group” (Mayer,

2012, p. 91). Observation data also indicated that the students receiving tutoring

using the CWPT model spent more time engaged in oral and silent reading

behaviors. Although this study was conducted with subjects with learning disabilities,

empirical evidence is presented in this article in support of the CWPT model as an

effective procedure for increasing curricular learning for students with or without

disabilities.

Surveys were also conducted with teachers, parents, and students

indicating a high degree of satisfaction with the tutoring procedure and effects on

reading performance (p. 92). Yet the study did not indicate the method used to

collect survey data. Studies were also done with the CWPT model in relation to

basic math facts and other content areas. The CWPT intervention model strives to

provide educators an approach to individualize instruction, opportunity for active

engagement, and immediate error correction with positive feedback. Further

research also indicated that the CWPT model served as a tool in development of the

Consort-Assisted Learning Strategies program.

Consort Tutoring as an Effective Instructional Strategy 11 through a

variety of referral sources: those identified as deficient in reading skills, those

identified by grade records and teacher interviews, and those students whose

parents expressed interest in participation with the home-based program. Although

ninety students were selected, sixty-nine participants remained for the entirety of the

study. The sixty-nine students were randomly assigned to three groups: control

group (C), consort tutoring (PT), and consort tutoring plus home-based

reinforcement (HB).

Students were selected based on pre-test scores, teacher interviews,

and parent interviews. Two pre-test scores were student initial test scores from the

Spache

Diagnostic Reading test (oral reading and comprehension subscales) and the third

pre-test score came from SRA starter stories. The twenty-three students in the

consort tutoring group received consort tutoring for about thirty minutes a day. The

twenty-three in the consort tutoring plus home-based reinforcement received the

same time of consort tutoring at school, but also received reinforcement work at

home which could be rewarded with points for accurate oral reading and

comprehension. The control group consisted of twenty-three students that were

enrolled in in-school remedial reading programs with in class instruction and no

attempt was made to control the instruction received in this group. The materials
used were the basic reading from the SRA Reading Kit and the Fry reading formula.

For this study consort tutors were chosen from senior grades (6-8) within

the school.

The consort tutors were trained using a tutor manual which described

the process step-by-step. After training the consort tutors were assigned a student to

work with in a tutoring room for the designated time. The tutor used the SRA

materials box to choose appropriate daily reading materials. The student read from

the book and the tutor was responsible for recording errors and providing support.

Upon completion of each tutoring session students received chips for each

comprehension question answered correctly. The students included in the home-

based reinforcement group followed the same consort tutoring procedure, but also

had a point transfer card to be used at home to track points earned at home.

The overall results of change in reading ability was assessed using the

pre-test data and the post-test data using the oral reading and comprehension

subscales of the Spache Diagnostic Reading Scale and the test of reading ability of

the SRA Starter Stories. The results from this study indicated progress made during

the consort tutoring study across the three groups. The first results are based on the

instruction level subscale of the Spache Diagnostic Reading Scales measured oral

reading fluency. The average gain from pretest to posttest for the home-based group

was 1.27 years (.5 to 3.2). The average gain for the consort tutoring group was .77

years (range .0 to 1.7). The average gain for the control was .19 years (-2.7 to .7).

The next set of results is based on the SRA Starter Stories assessment.

The average gain from pretest to posttest for the home-based group was
1.35 years (range .0 to 2.7). The average gain for the consort tutoring group was

.95 years (range .0 to 1.8). While the average gain for the control group was .23

years. The results of this study indicate from the pretest and posttest data that the

students involved with the home-based reinforcement group outperformed the

consort tutoring children who were not given the home-based support. Both the

home-based group and the consort tutoring group outperformed the control group

students based on data. The authors concluded that consort tutoring was effective in

increasing oral reading and comprehension performance with students identified as

having reading deficiencies.

 Chapter III Chapter 2

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Research Design

This study made use of the experimental design of research. Experimental

research describes the process that a researcher undergoes of controlling certain

variables and manipulating others to observe if the results of the experiment reflect

that the manipulations directly caused the particular outcome. This type of research

differs from a descriptive study, and another one of its important aspects is the use

of random assignment.

In this study, the pretest-posttest model will be used to determine the Consort

Tutoring on Reading Development of Grade____pupils of

__________________School in improving English competencies

Participants

The Grade ___ of________________ School will be the main subjects of this

study. These will be chosen using purposive sampling. According to Padua (2008),

purposive sampling is directly identifying the respondents from a population using a

criterion or criteria. In this study, the researcher will use an inclusion criterion

including those who are enrolled in Grade________ during the academic year 2017-

2018 who do not belong to either the first or the Special Science section.

Establishing the Comparability of the Two Groups

Like in all experimental researches, there is a need to establish the

comparability of the two groups being studied. The groups must be parallel to ensure
that any advantage in the performance of the experimental group is caused by the

manipulated variables.

To form these two equal groups, the researcher will use the following

variables such as: (1) the diagnostic test scores in English which is generated at the

beginning of the school year; and (2) the final grade in English

Their scores in the diagnostic test will be used as an equating factor in order

to have a baseline data on how the students perform in English as a whole. Their

final grades in English will be used as a basis in comparing the two groups because

this is one data that may describe the performance of the students in the said

subject.

Determining the Control and Experimental Groups

The researcher will use two intact classes from Grade _____; 43 of whom are

female and 45 were Male The researcher will conduct a draw lots as to which of the

classes is the experimental and the control.

Materials and Instruments

There are three instruments to be used in this study: the pre-test, posttest and

the questionnaire.

The pre-test and posttest will include reading a sample book given by the

researcher which will be validated.

Also, to check the reliability of the reading activity, Grade 7 students will do

the said activity first.

The materials that will be used in the reading activity will be reading diaries,

storybooks and reading comprehension pamphlets.

Experimental Procedure

This experimental study will take place from June to August 2017. Both

groups will be handled by the researcher.

During the actual experiment, the control group will be subjected to the

conventional method of reading.

In the experimental group, the teacher will choose different students to act as

a consort for the experimental groups to aid them in their reading practices

especially in fluency, comprehension, and maze measures

To find out how much the students gained from the experiment, the pre-test

will be administered at the beginning of the study and the posttest after all selections

have been taken.

To find out whether they have developed reading from both traditional and

consort tutoring, the students’ pre-test and posttest scores will be compared.

Eliminating the Contaminating Factors

To eliminate some contaminating factors that may affect the result of the

experiment, the class schedule and the rooms of the two groups were made

adjacent with each other. The table that follows shows the schedule of the two

groups.

Table 1. English 7 Class Schedule of the Two Groups

Group Teacher Days Time Room

Control Researcher Daily 7:15-8:15 03
Experimental Researcher Daily 8:15-9:15 04
Statistical Treatment of Data

To establish the comparability of the two groups using the Diagnostic Test

Results and the Second Grading grades in English, t –test will be used.

To establish the difference of the two groups of respondents in the pre-test,

and posttest, the t-test will also use. In determining the attitude of the students

towards the consort tutoring, weighted mean will be used

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