The 1st grade class I assisted today was completing a 5 minute reading PALS activity. The students broke into pairs and completed Lesson 7 in their PALS folders. The students complimented each other at every star symbol throughout the lesson (examples given below). I had never seen PALS implemented in the classroom before, so I decided to do some research...
PALS, or Peer Assisted Learning Strategies, is a version of classwide peer tutoring. PALS combines proven instructional principles and practices and peer mediation so that research-based reading and math activities are effective, feasible, and enjoyable. Teachers identify which children require help on specific skills and who the most appropriate children are to help other children learn those skills. Using this information, teachers pair students in the class, so that partners work simultaneously and productively on different activities that address the problems they are experiencing. Pairs are changed regularly and all students have the opportunity to be "coaches" and "players" over a period of time as students work on a variety of skills.
PALS creates pairs in a classroom, each of which is geared to the individual student's needs, instead of a single, teacher-directed activity that may end up addressing the problems of only a few children. The strategy also creates opportunities for a teacher to circulate in the class, observe students, and provide individual remedial lessons.
1st Grade Reading Examples of PALS Activities
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