Page 9: Train Students
iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/pals26/cresource/q3/p09
How can Mrs. Nash implement these activities?
Before teachers can successfully implement any strategy in
their classrooms, they first must ensure that their students are adequately trained. The
training for PALS consists of twelve 35-minute sessions, which are typically held three days a
week for four weeks. Through them, teachers gradually introduce their students to each of
the strategy’s three activities, allowing them more opportunities to discretely practice Partner
Reading with Retell, Paragraph Shrinking, and Prediction Relay before all three are
combined into one session. The table below offers more detailed information about what
students will learn during each session.
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Session
1
Introduce
PALS
Introduce Retell
Practice Paragraph Shrinking
Introduce
Prediction
Relay
Session
2
Introduce
Partner
Reading
Practice Partner
Reading and
Retell
Practice Partner Reading,
Retell, and Paragraph
Shrinking
Practice
Prediction
Relay
Session
3
Practice
Partner
Reading
Introduce
Paragraph
Shrinking
Practice Partner Reading,
Retell, and Paragraph
Shrinking
Put It All
Together
Training Procedures
Mrs. Nash will train her students during the regularly scheduled reading period. In order to
teach her students about each PALS activity, she will:
1. Discuss PALS
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Mrs. Nash will introduce PALS, highlighting the advantages of using the strategy. She will
explicitly explain what the strategy is for, how it is used, and when it is useful. In addition,
Mrs. Nash will:
Define terms that are specific to PALS (e.g., Coach, Reader, peer pairing).
Explain rules that apply during the implementation of PALS.
During a PALS session, the teacher must encourage good behavior and enforce the
rules. Although most of the established rules will apply, teachers should keep in mind
the four rules recommended by the developers of PALS:
Talk only to your partner and only about PALS.
Keep your voice low.
Cooperate with your partner.
Try your best.
(From Peer Assisted Learning Strategies: Reading Methods for Grades 2–6, by D.
Fuchs, L. S. Fuchs, D. C. Simmons, and P. G. Mathes, 2008, p. 229.)
Describe the procedures for a PALS session.
2. Model PALS Activity
Mrs. Nash will model the set-up procedures and each reading activity. Additionally, through
presentations and role-playing, she will:
PALS Set-up Procedures
Any or all of these steps necessary to ensure the successful execution of a PALS session,
including but not limited to moving to a partner quickly and quietly, working cooperatively
with a partner, gathering materials, and following the rules of PALS.
Demonstrate the role of the Coach, especially how to provide corrective feedback.
Highlight appropriate social behaviors for students working in pairs.
3. Allow Time for Guided Practice
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Once her students understand the basic principles of PALS, Mrs. Nash will allow them to
practice what they have learned. During this time, Mrs. Nash will guide her students
through the process as they:
Engage in the three PALS reading activities.
Practice gathering and putting away materials.
Rehearse moving to partners.
As with any classroom transition, teachers will wish to minimize the amount of time
that their students are not engaged in academic activity. Because PALS requires
students to work in pairs, there is a danger of losing valuable class time, but only if
teachers fail to make a plan for getting partners seated next to each other. Below are
two methods for moving students to their assigned partner.
1. Because students are partnered for a three- to four-week period, the teacher
can create a new seating arrangement—one in which partners are seated next
to one another—each time new partners are assigned. Doing so will eliminate
the need for students to move around the classroom to join their reading
partners.
2.
The teacher can select one student from each pair to move to his or her
partner for a PALS session. To limit noise and chaos, the teacher should train
the students to move quickly and quietly with their materials in two minutes or
less. To avoid a traffic jam in the middle of the class, it is also beneficial if the
students who are moving are spread out across the room.
4. Allow Time for Independent Practice
When her students have become familiar with each of the strategies, Mrs. Nash will
monitor their practice and provide corrective feedback. She will make certain that the
students:
Perform the activities correctly.
Offer appropriate corrective feedback.
Maintain positive social interactions.
Observe the PALS rules.
Devin Kearns explains that all students can learn to implement PALS (time: 0:26).
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Devin Kearns, MA
PALS trainer
Vanderbilt University
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Transcript: Devin Kearns, MA
We found that everyone can learn the procedures. The lessons are designed to make it
possible for everyone to get them, so you may have students who have disabilities and have
more difficulty remembering the procedures, or have more difficulty staying organized. And
for those students we include a lot of questioning of the students to remind them what do you
do after this, what card do you use for this activity, to help them continue to remember.
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