The Power of Peers in the Classroom

Peer support and social relationships have a tremendous influence on development, motivation, and achievement for all students, including struggling learners and those with disabilities. This highly practical book is one of the few resources available to guide classroom teachers and special educators in the application of peer-assisted instructional strategies in grades K-12. Expert contributors describe evidence-based approaches for building students skills in reading, writing, math, and other content areas, as well as social competence and executive functioning. Sample lessons and more than a dozen reproducible tools are provided. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials.

Peer support and social relationships have a tremendous influence on development, motivation, and achievement for all students, including struggling learners and those with disabilities. This highly practical book is one of the few resources available to guide classroom teachers and special educators in the application of peer-assisted instructional strategies in grades K-12. Expert contributors describe evidence-based approaches for building students' skills in reading, writing, math, and other content areas, as well as social competence and executive functioning. Sample lessons and more than a dozen reproducible tools are provided. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials.

1. Executive Function and Peer Mentoring: Fostering Metacognitive Awareness, Effort, and Academic Success, Lynn Meltzer, Michael Greschler, Katelyn Kurkul, & Wendy Stacey 2. Peer Interactions in the Content Areas: Using Differentiated Instruction Strategies, Kelley S. Regan, Anya S. Evmenova, Margo A. Mastropieri, & Thomas E. Scruggs 3. “Thank You for Helping Me Write a Better Paper”: Peer Support in Learning to Write, Anne Mong Cramer & Linda H. Mason 4. Using Collaborative Strategic Reading to Promote Student Discourse, Karla Scornavacco, Brooke Moore, Alison Boardman, Cristin Jensen Lasser, Pamela Buckley, & Janette K. Klingner 5. Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies to Improve Students' Word Recognition and Reading Comprehension, Devin M. Kearns, Douglas Fuchs, Lynn S. Fuchs, Kristen L. McMaster, & Laura Saenz 6. Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies in Mathematics, Sarah R. Powell & Lynn S. Fuchs 7. Maximizing the Benefits of Working Cooperatively with Peers, Kimber L. Wilkerson & Jenna L. Lequia 8. Peer-Supported Instruction for English Learners, Cara Richards-Tutor, Terese Aceves, & Colleen Reutebuch 9. The Power of  Preschool  Peers to Influence Social Outcomes for Children with Special Needs, Phillip S. Strain  & Edward H. Bovey II