How is literacy development through cross-grade tutoring documented?
Although it is more difficult to assess cross-grade tutoring outcomes than more traditional teacher-centered instruction outcomes, “[m]any agree that the traditional ways of assessing students’ learning–ascertaining whether students can get the ‘right answers’ to close-ended questions–do not adequately account for students’ language competence” (p. 56). Teachers can observe and interact with their students during tutoring and writing sessions and profile changes in reading, talking, writing, and taking responsibility for learning. Students themselves can also assess and describe their own growth. Is it fair to tutees to use nonexpert english speakers as tutors? Yes. The older students must be trained to act as competent tutors, no matter what their reading/writing level “through modeling, watching videotapes, and discussing the activity and its meaning with teachers and other tutors . . . tutors must understand that they have a responsibility for their tutees’ learning as well as the
