Paired reading Lit Review

Literature review on paired reading
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Introduction
The main goal of education stakeholders is to improve education standards through improved literacy levels in education. Paired reading is gaining acceptance in education circles as a strategy towards improving student’s reading ability for weaker students. Students who read proficiently typically succeed in all subjects. This is because there is a link between reading ability and literacy (Topping et al., 2011). Paired reading has been identified as one of the approach that is effective in improving both fluency and literacy. Proponents of paired reading state that it can facilitate positive thoughts on reading, leading to more independence in reading.
Paired reading
Paired reading is a learning process whereby a student, with guidance from a teacher, tutors another student in learning a skill or a concept. In most cases, it involves pairing weaker students with stronger students in the learning. According to Topping et al (2011), pairing weaker students with stronger students in reading text and reading aloud independently, simultaneously or in tandem improves reading. There are different approaches to paired reading like class wide peer tutoring and cross age peer tutoring. In class-wide peer tutoring pupils at the same level help each other to learn while in the latter; the tutor is usually older or at a higher level of learning than the tutee. Peer tutoring represents assisted learning where children work with their fellow peers using a specified curriculum, and this approach is helpful as it improves the self esteem of learners (Miller et al., 2010)
This approach of reading is applicable with readers who lack fluency and competence of normal readers. Generally, the approach involves learners reading aloud to each other or less fluent readers being paired with fluent readers when reading. Students can also be paired with older learners who monitor them as they read through, then help them out where they get stuck.
The most commonly used methods, are the class-wide peer tutoring and cross age peer tutoring. Class-wide peer tutoring involves having readers at the same level of learning. The teacher here pairs students who are fluent with students who are less fluent for the tutoring (Ashmore, Farrier& Chu, 2011). Reading instructions are largely given out by the teacher with each student’s participation.
On the other hand, cross age tutoring involves the use of a tutor who is older than the tutee mostly two years older. In this method, the pairs choose their own books or other learning materials that are of high interest to them – particularly the learner. However, the material must be above the level of the learner but not above that of the tutor. When the tutee makes a mistake, the tutor waits for some few seconds for self correction. If the learner does not get it, the tutor demonstrates the correct way and has the tutee ...