A Case of Accelerated Literacy Development for a Kindergarten Retention Candidate

Abstract

Supporting struggling learners is a greater challenge due to the Covid-19 pandemic and disruptions in millions of children’s education. Many students entering kindergarten during the 2021-2022 school year experienced these learning disruptions during their most formative education years: the preschool years. This practitioner research focuses on the use of multisensory instruction, cross-grade level collaboration, and intrinsic motivation to accelerate the literacy development of a struggling kindergartener, whose literacy needs required intensive intervention and tier-three support. By collaboratively creating an individualized literacy plan to meet their learning needs, this intrinsically motivated student transformed into an above-grade-level kindergartener prepared for first grade from a potential kindergarten retention candidate. This field-based research underscores the need for practitioners to refocus their attention on intrinsic motivation, collaboration to create individualized learning plans for all learners, and using research as cornerstones to guide instructional practice and maximize student outcomes.