Peer Assisted Learning Strategy BASIC PALS FORMAT Peer Assisted Learning Strategy

What do they read during PALS time? Whatever you need them to read! A few pages of your bookworms novel. A science or social studies text. A poem. Current event article. As long as everyone has a copy in front of them (actually sharing 1 copy between the 2 partners works great!) then they can use it for PALS.

Who do I pair together? Be strategic! Don’t rank your highest kid with your lowest kid because that will only equal frustration for all. Take your roster ranked by Lexile level or DIBELS ORF (highest to lowest). Cut the list in half. Line up the 2 halves and those are your partners. Example: if you have 24 kids ranked then #1 will be partnered with #13, #2 with #14, #3 with #15 and so on to end with #12 partnered with #24.

MODEL, MODEL, MODEL The first few times, you will need to model for students what you expect of them. They need to see what you want and hear what you want. Model what it should look like and sound like when they are partner reading.

Step 1: Teacher gives students a purpose. Choose the assigned reading and introduce the text to the students. “We are going to start our reading today at page 25.” Give them a purpose or a focus for reading. “As you read, be looking for clues that show you how the narrator is feeling.”

Step 2: They read. Have each member of the teacher-assigned pair take turns being "Coach" and "Player." These pairs are changed regularly, and over a period of time as students work. Thus, all students have the opportunity to be "coaches" and "players." Note: It is important for teachers to monitor and support students as they work together.

Step 2: And they read. Ask the stronger reader to begin this activity as the "Player" and read orally for 5 minutes. Have the "Coach" follow along and correct any mistakes when necessary. Have the pair switch roles and ask the weaker reader to become the "Player." The "Player" continues reading the same passage from where they left off for the next 5 minutes and the "Coach" provides corrective feedback.

Step 3: Now, go back to where you started… Take turns and retell what happened in each of the sections that you read. Partner A retells paragraph 1, Partner B retells paragraph 2 and so on until you get to the end of where you read.

That’s the basics! That’s it! Proven to be in the Top 10 of most effective reading intervention strategies for all kids according to the What Works Clearinghouse (link below). Takes less than 15 mins start to finish and students do all the reading. Oh, and it’s FREE! You can incorporate other strategies in after students have learned the basic routine above. The next slides are to display on your ActivBoard during PALS in class. http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/FWW/Results?filters=,Literacy

PALS READING TIME

Get Ready to Read with your PAL. PLAYER: You will whisper read to your partner first. COACH: Follow along and correct any mistakes your partner makes while reading. You will have 5 minutes. (Next Slide is the Timer)

5 minute timer

NOW SWITCH JOBS Player, you are now the Coach. If you were the Coach, now you are the Player. PLAYER: Start where your partner stopped. Now, you will whisper read to your partner. COACH: Follow along and correct any mistakes your partner makes while reading. You will have 5 minutes. (Next Slide is the Timer)

5 minute timer

RETELL Take turns retelling in your own words what happened in each paragraph. You will have 5 minutes.

5 minute timer

PALS