Applying Peer Tutoring to Spelling with Elementary-Aged Students

Peer tutoring methods were implemented in a 2nd grade classroom using an alternating treatments design with a baseline. In the baseline phase, 18 participants spelled words they had not yet learned. During the treatment phase, teacher-led spelling instruction was alternated each week with peer tutoring for spelling. Peer tutoring for spelling was applied through two activities targeting accuracy and fluency. Both teacher-led instruction and peer tutoring for spelling resulted in greater improvement from the weekly pretest to posttest in both words spelled correctly and correct letter sequences than baseline. Peer tutoring for spelling led to greater improvements in performance and was more acceptable to students. This study expanded on the limited literature on evidence-based practices for spelling instruction and supports previous findings that explicit spelling instruction yields greater spelling performance than no spelling instruction.