Developing a cross-age teaching programs: the benefits to the student ‘teachers’

Cross‐age teaching is a technique where an older student acts as ‘teacher’ and teaches concepts to younger students. This paper includes a literature review that discusses the benefits of cross‐age teaching to the older ‘teachers,’ and reviews a program developed by the researcher based on the benefits of good cross‐age teaching programs, where 11th grade honors chemistry students create, develop, and assess a science lesson to teach 5th grade science students. The process is detailed, and concludes with the students and teachers reflecting over the results and what changes could be made to improve such a program in the future. Finally, applications of cross‐age teaching programs are explored, and the research concludes the benefits of being the ‘teacher’ are advantageous to all levels of students. Such programs are in need of more collaboration and effort on the part of educators and researchers, but the benefits gained by all students make effort well worth it.