Can You Give Me A Hand? Peer Education In Elementary School

I will present a case from the practice, i.e. the peer learning in the mathematics of the fourth grade of the elementary school. I bring the elements of the formative following (FF) of the knowledge in my lessons. That enables regular following of the progress of a student. The FF includes ascertaining the prior knowledge, setting goals, learning, setting standards, and feedback. The students were achieving the goals of the entire complex of geometry so that they alone organized their learning. In the process, they were collecting evidence on their knowledge. On the basis of my regular feedback, every individual strived for his own progress and for achieving some new goals. In order to increase the activities of students, a colleague who teaches mathematics on the primary level and I organized a lesson with peer learning. In the beginning, younger students told older students which goals they were achieving. Then, they set a new goal and the criteria of successfulness. Peer learning in pairs followed. The older students taught the younger students. The goal was to draw perpendicular lines, mark them and write their relationship with a mathematical symbol. The students were active and motivated for work. They achieved the set goal and showed a high level of responsibility for their knowledge and progress. In the concluding part, self-evaluation and the feedback of six-graders to the younger students took place. Positive experience and enthusiasm of children encouraged the colleague and me to further cooperation.