Date of Award
1-1-1992
Document Type
Practicum
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Child and Youth Care Administration
Advisor
Dr. Roberta Wong Bouverat
Committee Member
Dr. Susan Kane
Keywords
at-risk students, book awareness, cross-age tutoring, early childhood education, elementary education, emergent literacy, English as a second language, kindergarten, language arts, letter recognition, minority students, pre-reading, pre-writing, reading instruction, self-concept, self-esteem, teaching English to speakers of other languages, whole language literacy, writing instruction
Abstract
This practicum was designed, through a cross-age tutoring program, to increase emergent literacy skills of at-risk kindergarten children. The objectives were to increase letter recognition, book awareness skills, pre-reading strategies, and pre-writing strategies in the targeted students. In a structured program, the fifth and sixth grade tutors met with the tutees for 30 minutes twice a week for a three month period.
The writer administered qualitative and quantitative pretests which documented the lack of literacy development of at-risk kindergartners. The writer held workshops to train the tutors in reading and writing strategies, developed a schedule of structured activities to complete in each session, and also served as a support system to answer questions and assist the tutors.
The results of the practicum were positive. Posttest evaluations in both written and observational form indicated that the goal and all of the objectives were successfully met, and actually exceeded the outcome originally anticipated. While all at-risk students increased their skills, the ESL students benefitted the most. Tutees and tutors further indicated that the program was both enjoyable and worthwhile and that they would like to repeat the experience.