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How can we use partnerships to improve academic achievement of early learners?Parents, after school programs, and even siblings can become valuable partners in improving important skills of our youngest learners. In California, state laws and regulations mandate that districts have a plan and implement practices for working with families and communities. This capstone project highlights the research, how-tos, and framework for an approach to do this, in the interest of boosting the achievement of our primary students before they get swallowed up by the achievement gap.
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Partnerships for Learning Sandau Home Learn More Standards Inspiration About the Author
Partnerships for LearningEach year, a significant percentage of elementary schools’ youngest students are found substantially low in achievement on early literacy skills assessments. It seems as though these children enter school already in the achievement gap. When given standard early literacy assessments, these students have a difficult time catching up to their peers who entered prepared. While teachers do their best to provide high quality, effective interventions in school, where students do make significant growth--it isn’t enough.
This study employed partnerships with various allies in students' lives: parents, siblings, and after school program staff and cross-age tutors. By utilizing these partnerships to engage Kindergartners in a series of literacy activities outside the classroom, this study sought to find gains in student achievement in the area of early literacy skills. Round 1: Parents as Partners
The first round of research engaged Kindergarten parents in a series of home literacy activities with their children. Videos, resources, and reminders were sent via email or text to participating parents through a district supported parent communication app. Findings revealed increased student scores in letter sound fluency skills in just five weeks.
Round 2: Community Partners
The second round of research recruited the nearby after school program staff and their middle school volunteers. Both staff and cross-age tutor volunteers led simple letter-sound reinforcement activities with Kindergarten students. After only 4 weeks, students demonstrated significant growth on post assessments.
Round 3: Siblings as Partners
The final round of action research enlisted Kindergartners' and their third-fifth grade siblings in a sequence of alphabet and phonics based games to play together. Each week, “Super Siblings” happily gathered to receive new hands-on alphabet games to take home, reviewed online games, and were shown how to play together.
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Foundational PremisesWhile my objective has been to improve the early literacy assessment scores of struggling Kindergarteners, this capstone could appeal to a wider audience than just Kindergarten teachers. My action research has hinged on a few concepts that could be applied to different grade levels and topics outside of early literacy:
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