Jacobs, G. M. (1998). [Review of the book Buddy reading]. RAP Journal, 21, 37-38.

Samway, Katharine Davies, Whang, Gail, Pippitt, M. (1995). Buddy reading: Cross-age tutoring in a multicultural school. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 145 pages.

Reviewer: George M Jacobs

"The wise do not lay up treasure. The more they give to others, the more they have for themselves."
Lao-Tze, The Simple Way

"A man there was, though some did count him mad. The more he cast away, the more he had."
John Bunyan, The Pilgrim's Progress

These words from two famous thinkers, one Eastern and one Western, form a key piece of the foundation for use of student-student instruction: when we teachers organize our students to teach each other, we increase learning not just for those students who receive instruction; indeed, those students who teach learn at least as much.

Cross-age tutoring offers one form which student-student instruction can take. The authors of this engaging and informative book describe a cross-age tutoring program which they developed at an elementary school in Oakland, California that had a high proportion of students from non-English speaking homes and many other students who were low achievers from disadvantaged backgrounds. Of the three authors, Pippitt taught first and second graders, Whang taught fifth and sixth graders, and Samway was a university professor who observed and advised on the project. Once a week, students from each teacher's class would pair up with a buddy from the other class to work on literacy activies.

Buddy Reading is rich in useful guidelines for setting up cross-age tutoring. Vivid anecdotes from the authors' students illustrate the guidelines and provide us with inspiring examples of the power of student-student collaboration:

There is a gentle hum ... Something of a transformation has occurred. Students like thirteen-year-old Antonine, who has difficulty interacting with others without conflict, is gentle and thoughtful with his much smaller buddy, Souksavath. Amphaivane, usually so reserved, is vivacious and a knowledgeable resource to her peers. Juan, a twelve year-old who is used to getting his own way, is nurturing--he pulls his partner close to him, wraps an arm around his shoulder and listens carefully to what he says. Maria, who is most comfortable speaking Spanish and does not usually speak up in class, is confident, resourceful, and animated (p. 4).

Among the guidelines the authors followed to lead their cross-age reading and writing program to such a high level of cooperation are:

1. Explain the program's purposes to both groups of students: older and younger.

2. In both the younger and older students' classrooms, build classroom libraries of reading materials for the younger learners, and teach both groups how to select appropriate materials.

3. Conduct demonstrations and role plays to familiarize the older and younger students with how to read, write, and discuss with their buddies.

4. Teach older students how to read aloud and how to encourage the younger students to actively respond to the text being read.

5. Discuss with the older students that reading and writing are developmental processes; thus, perfection should be neither expected nor demanded from their younger buddies.

6. Help the younger students learn how to listen attentively to their older buddies.

7. Involve all students, not just the weaker younger students and the stronger older students in the program.

8. Give careful consideration when pairing students, and conduct warm-up activities to allow students to get to know and feel comfortable with their new buddies.

9. Establish a systematic way to observe students when they work with their buddies, and, when observing, intervene as necessary to teach collaborative and literacy skills.

10. Conduct debriefing sessions each time when students return to their original classrooms after meeting with their buddies. Journals can also serve as a forum for student discussion of their buddy reading and writing experiences.

11. Schedule sharing sessions between the teachers of the younger and older students.

Cross-age tutoring offers an alternative means of dealing with one of the toughest problems teachers face: how to help students who read and write far below grade level. Instead of hiring special tutors or sending students to special classrooms or reading groups, cross-age programs such as buddy reading and writing are low cost and instill weaker pupils with pride, as they help their younger buddies.

The book ends with a chapter devoted not to the benefits of Buddy Reading and Writing for the students but to its benefits for those teachers involved in the program. They learned more about their students as the children worked with their buddies, and they got a broader view of education by entering the lives of a different age group of students. However, perhaps the greatest benefit for teachers was similar to that for students: they experienced the power of collaboration, the "Bayanihan Spirit". The teachers saw that as they helped their colleagues they helped themselves, that life is not a zero sum, win/lose game in which by giving to others we lose. Instead, collaboration for these teachers was a win/win game, as their cooperation made them more successful, more insightful educators. After all, everyone needs a buddy.