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PAIRED READING AND PEER TUTORING

Providing additional support for learners is often very time intensive. Yet there are numerous potential partners who can ably provide time and support. Such is the strength of paired reading, a technique which for long, has provided a foundation for developing reading skills for those who have found difficulty with the printed word.

Many are the variations on this theme and great have been its successes. It is thus appropriate to include a paired reading strategy as an example of good practice. For example St Mungo's PS in Clackmannanshire promotes a "Reading Buddies" scheme. Another example comes from Berryhill PS in North Lanarkshire and at St Kentigern's Academy in West Lothian a similar paired approach gives additional support to pupils with dyslexic developmental difficulties. All parties can benefit from such approaches and a scheme in Kirkcaldy West PS in Fife shows how citizenship and curricular ownership can be part of the outcome. It can also be a way of empowering parents and providing links between home and school.

Additional support from peers can help primary-secondary liaison. This is exemplified by Larkhall Academy and its associated primaries where S6 students volunteer to provide in-class support in association with LSTs and class teachers in primary schools and in tutorial for junior secondary pupils. Calderhead High School students work with primary 7 pupils to develop keyboarding skills as part of a secondary liaison programme for pupils who require additional support and benefits have been shown to accrue for both groups.

These schemes show degrees of involvement by support teachers and class teachers, pupils and parents. They show degrees of inclusiveness, planning and evaluation. Each is a product of its own circumstances and has been acclaimed good practice within that set of circumstances. Other schools use other approaches which also merit celebration. Each provides us with a platform for reflection and development.