And, indeed, he was. The program, operating in 209 schools, pairs older elementary school students with second graders to help the younger children develop reading fluency. Farsaci expects it to be in 400 to 500 schools by October. It is modeled after a program in Israel that has been running for 18 years. Kids were teaching kids, and they were very good at it.
Tutors are usually fifth graders, but some schools have used fourth graders.
A school-based coordinator selects tutors based on their social skills and interest in reading. After each session , the tutors meet as a group with the coordinator to discuss their experiences and share strategies. But being a tutor has helped me become more confident. The curriculum is provided by the Learning Together Co. in Greensboro. Workbooks for the tutors provide highly structured lessons, including questions, both literal and comprehensive, that the tutor will ask his or her second-grader.