In most school tutoring programs, it's the academic all-stars who are chosento help their less-than-stellar mates. But letting not-so-gifted students take a turn as teacher can pay off as well--especially for the tutor.
Researchers at the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education have been testing the effectiveness of cross-aged tutoring, which pairs student instructors with kids from lower grades. In one recent study, Toronto doctoral candidate Alison Inglis assigned average or below-average fourth graders to coach struggling math students in grade two. When Inglis searched for signs of academic progress 10 to 12 weeks later, she found it wasn't only the second graders who'd benefited from the sessions.
"The act of guiding younger children through math problems enabled the fourth graders to solidify their own skills," reports Inglis. Some of the tutors, she notes, had never quite mastered the material until they had to try to explain it to another kid. Tutoring also boosted the older kids' leadership skills, self-confidence, and motivation, while improving their attitude. "I learned how to calm down and not get frustrated," said one fourth grader.
