Effectiveness of class-wide peer tutoring on idiom comprehension in middle school students with Specific Learning Disability

Abstract

Idioms are frequently used in classrooms. Students with learning disabilities have challenges in comprehending them. Providing idiom instruction in the student’s least restrictive environment (i.e., the classroom) is effective and time efficient. The present study examined the efficacy of Class Wide Peer Tutoring (CWPT) in twenty-one middle school students (6th and 8th grade) who had an educational diagnosis of Specific Learning Disability, an active Individual Education Plan (IEP) and attended a special day classroom for their English language arts instruction. Students were trained in CWPT procedures in the special day classroom 4 days a week for 4 weeks. They were assigned to dyads and learned six idioms each week for 4 weeks. Each idiom was presented in different contexts over the course of 4 days. Pre and posttest were given for thirty idioms including six idioms that were not trained via CWPT. Testing of the six idioms determined if the students could generalize the learned skill. Pre, post, and generalization data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Results revealed that students made significant progress in idiom comprehension in both grades. There was also statistical significance in the generalization of the six idioms. However, clinical significance for generalization was not consistent with statistical findings. Discussion specifically addressed clinical implications for use of the process both in the classroom and by Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs).