Peer-Mediated Incremental Rehearsal (PMIR)

Peer-Mediated Incremental Rehearsal (PMIR) is an intervention designed to teach high-frequency words to English Language Learner (ELL) students in second and third grade who need additional reading support. PMIR uses peer tutors (high-achieving third-grade students with well-developed English proficiency) to deliver incremental rehearsal instruction in small groups (1:1 peer tutor to target student ratio). The intervention involves teaching unknown words interspersed with known words using flashcards. Each session teaches three unknown words, with each unknown word rehearsed alongside seven known words following a specific sequence. Peer tutors provide direct instruction by introducing unknown words, prompting students to read them, and providing immediate corrective feedback when errors occur. Sessions occur approximately three times per week and last about 10 minutes per student. Before implementation, peer tutors receive three to four 20-minute training sessions from graduate assistants to learn the intervention procedures, including how to introduce words, provide corrective feedback, and manage the interspersal sequence. The intervention uses 3×5-inch index cards with words written in black marker on the front and color-coded on the back (red for unknown, green for known words). Graduate assistants also assess students' oral reading fluency at the start of each session using AIMSweb reading curriculum-based measures.