CEDAR SPRINGS, Mich. — An eighth-grade student at Cedar Springs Middle School has created a peer-to-peer tutoring program that's helping sixth graders adjust to middle school life.
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Bralynn Chapman started the tutoring program at the beginning of the school year, where advanced eighth-grade students from Miss Rogers' Accelerated English Language Arts class help sixth graders with their schoolwork during "Hawk Time" — a scheduled period for students to catch up on assignments.
The tutoring sessions meet for 30 minutes three days a week.
"I just want to just help, like, students younger than me? Because I know when I was in sixth grade, I would struggle a little bit, and I know having someone closer to my age, it would be easier to help, like, ask for help," Chapman said.
English Language Arts Teacher Shaye Rogers said the program has been successful in building community within the school.
"It kind of builds up the community within the school. There's more of a connection between all three grade levels, because, again, they've kind of built up those connections. They have relationships with people in each grade now, and so it really has kind of brought the school closer together, a lot more supportive," Rogers said.
School staff acknowledge that the transition from elementary to middle school can be challenging for students.
"Because you're transitioning from being in one class with one teacher and kind of sharing a desk space with all of the same students all day long. And now every single hour you're changing subjects, you're changing class," said Craig Owens, Cedar Springs Middle School's behavior interventionist.
Sixth-grade student Jackson Davis appreciates having the tutoring program available.
"It's nice because they have already done all this stuff, and they can help you with missing work and stuff, and so they can really help you," Davis said.
Bralynn said she's proud that her idea is making a difference.
"I feel really good because the students like, be able to study better, and like, the extra time to, like, get help from another student that has already taken the class," she said.
The peer-to-peer tutoring program has been so popular that the middle school plans to continue it in future years.
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