An Examination of the Effectiveness of a Cross-age Tutoring Program in Mathematics for Elementary School Children.

The effectiveness of a supervised cross-age tutoring program in mathematics operations was assessed using 51 grade-six children and 25 grade-five children who tutored 51 grade-three and 25 grade-two children on a one-to-one basis for 30 minutes per day, four days per week over five weeks. Twenty-four grade-six and 31 grade-three children (within-school controls) and 18 grade-six, 21 grade-five, 32 grade-three and 32 grade-two children (noncontact school controls) did not take part in the tutoring program. Assessments were undertaken for the 152 experimental group children and the 158 controls prior to, and following the tutoring program to measure mathematics-operations and other mathematics achievements. Self-esteem of tutors and nontutors, and the reactions of tutors, tutees, relevant teachers and parents were also assessed. The fifth and sixth grade tutors effectively increased the operational mathematics achievements of their tutees: the increases in tutors' and tutees' mathematics achievements being significantly greater than those of the control children. Tutors were superior to nontutors in "operations" and "other" mathematics, whereas tutees were superior to nontutees only in mathematics operations, the focus of the program. Additional analyses showed that tutors' pre-intervention mathematics abilities were not significantly related to tutees' achievements in operations, nor was the self-esteem of tutors appreciably affected by their tutoring experience. Reactions to the program from tutors, tutees, parents and teachers were generally favourable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]