Peer tutoring and reading comprehension: An effective tandem? The effects of peer tutoring on reading comprehension

The purpose of this research is to examine the changes occurring in the development of reading comprehension during the implementation of a peertutoring programme "Leemos en pareja" and the mechanisms underlying these changes. We opt for a design that allows multiple methodological approaches: a quantitative one, through a quasi-experimental design to account for changes to reading comprehension, and a qualitative approach to analyse the process and identify the actions responsible for the changes observed. Results show statistically significant gains on the analyzed reading comprehension variable and that improvement occurs thanks to the use of reading strategies and to the scaffolding help offered by the tutors. In conclusion, it is noted that peer tutoring practices may have contributed significantly to improving reading comprehension skills.