Enhancing Kindergartners' Mathematical Development: Effects of Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a dyadic peer-mediated treatment on kindergarten children's mathematics development. Within schools, 20 classrooms were assigned randomly to experimental or control groups. Experimental teachers implemented the peer-mediated treatment twice weekly for 15 weeks. We measured the fidelity of treatment implementation, and teachers completed questionnaires about treatment effectiveness and feasibility. Within classrooms, we pre- and post-tested 168 students (84 per condition) who had been classified into achievement groups based on pretest scores; effects were separated for students identified for or referred to special education and for nondisabled low-, middle-, and high-achieving classmates. Results indicated that treatment implementation was strong for most, but not all, teachers; teachers judged the treatment to be effective and feasible for implementation on their own; and students with and without disabilities, at all points along the achievement continuum, benefited from the treatment. Implications for research and practice are discussed.