The sounds in fun: Using individual tutoring and instructional games to help kindergarteners improve basic reading skills

Research Question. How can we pair one-on-one, explicit instruction on word families with a variety of games in which students practice decoding and spelling CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words to help kindergarteners develop phonemic awareness and the ability to read and spell CVC words?;Research Activities. This study examines the effectiveness of using individual tutoring on word families, paired with instructional games in which students decode and spell CVC words, as an instructional strategy to support kindergarteners who are struggling with letter sound recognition and early reading skills. The study took place in a self-contained half-day kindergarten class at a charter school in a suburban neighborhood. Based on benchmark assessment scores and teacher observations, five focus students, including two English Language Learners, were identified to participate. The instruction took place over ten days, with each student receiving five sessions of one-on-one tutoring on word families commonly found in CVC words. Each day, all focus students played one of three games that targeted a specific skill: decoding CVC words, spelling CVC words, or phonemic awareness. The teacher facilitated the games and provided instructional support during play. Baseline and outcome achievement data, consisting of a teacher-made assessment that required students to decode, spell, and identify sounds in CVC words, along with classroom observations, were collected and analyzed to assess student progress. All five focus students improved significantly in developing their abilities to decode, spell, and identify sounds in CVC words between the beginning and the end of the instructional period. This is evidenced by the increase in their scores on the outcome assessment, as well as supporting observations and analysis of student responses. ELL and English only students made similar achievement gains. The students found the games to be motivational and engaging, especially those that included typical game-like elements such as rolling dice, moving a token along a game board, team names, and keeping score.