Brown University: extensive review finds impressive results from small group tutoring

A new publication of the Annenberg Institute at Brown University in the USA discusses the results of a systematic review and meta-analysis of dozens of pre-K tutoring initiatives that vary in scale, cost and implementation.

They find impressive results: tutoring programs yield consistent and substantial positive impacts on learning outcomes. Effects are stronger, on average, for teacher and paraprofessional tutoring programs than for nonprofessional and parent tutoring. Effects also tend to be strongest among the earlier grades. While overall effects for reading and math interventions are similar, reading tutoring tends to yield higher effect sizes in earlier grades, while math tutoring tends to yield higher effect sizes in later grades. Tutoring programs conducted during school tend to have larger impacts than those conducted after school.