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Resources

Programs & Skill Building

Peer Tutoring

CPF is proud to sponsor a new peer tutoring program! This exciting initiative is now available across the country to CPF members.

What is the Peer Tutoring Literacy ProgramT(PTLP)?

The program is aimed at fostering literacy in French immersion; PTLP is designed for almost independent Grades 2 and 3 readers, with no major learning difficulties, who would benefit from extra reading support.

How does the PTLP work?

The readers are paired with trained tutors from Grades 5, 6 and 7. The tutors and readers meet twice a week for a 30-minute guided reading session during class time. To minimize the loss of class instruction, tutoring takes place during silent reading time early in the morning. During the school year, there are three tutoring terms, averaging eight weeks each.

Readers are chosen on the basis of teachers' recommendations and assessments of their reading skills. Trained tutors are paired with readers by the teacher coordinator following input from the classroom teachers.

Who runs the Peer Tutoring Literacy Program?

The PTLP is implemented by a teacher coordinator and a parent volunteer. The teacher coordinator contributes to the selection of readers and tutors, and is responsible for training tutors and parent volunteers.

Parent volunteers help set up the program and assist in supervising the sessions by interacting with the readers and helping the tutors.

What are the benefits of the Peer Tutoring Literacy Program?

Learners gain confidence in reading.
Designed to reduce attrition in French immersion in the early years of schooling.
Involves parents (unilingual or bilingual).
Involves older students as tutors.
Learners have been known to become tutors.
Provides remedial assistance for French immersion students.

How do I know the Peer Tutoring Literacy Program will help my child?

Research conducted by a well-respected French-second-language expert on this project has shown that:

Readers improved their French reading skills, their attitude towards French-language learning and their motivation to work.
Tutors benefited by gaining self-esteem and learning valuable teaching and leaderships skills.
Tutors revealed a desire to help younger students and contribute to their school.

How do I get a copy of the Peer Tutoring Literacy Program?

The PTLP materials are available to individual CPF members free of charge (except for cost recovery of DVD and mailing). Schools that implement the PTLP must also be associate members of CPF. There are also some costs associated with the implementation of the program. Click here to download the Peer Tutoring Literacy Program Manual.

To purchase your membership with Canadian Parents for French, and receive your Password to access the Peer Tutoring Literacy Manual and other membership benefits, click here to sign up. If you are already a member, please contact Krystal Albert for the password to access the manual.

Some of the Peer Tutoring Literacy Program's research benefits are discussed in The State of French-Second-Language Education in Canada 2004 report. Click here to access the entire report, or go directly to Chapter 8 to read the research on the PTLP.

The Peer Tutoring Literacy Program was developed by Nicole Roy, a learning assistance teacher, and Mary Chipman, a parent interested in the acquisition of literacy skills. The program has been successfully implemented at Lord Tennyson School in Vancouver, BC since 1998, where it was originally started. CPF nominated Nicole Roy for the H.H. Stern Award, given by the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT), and we are pleased to say that she has won. Click here to learn more about the H.H. Stern Award, Nicole Roy and CASLT.