Journal Review 3

Direct Instruction with Playful Skill Extensions: Action Research in Emergent Literacy Development

Jean M. Keaton
Kindergarten Teacher, Tallahassee, Florida

Barbara C. palmer
Karen R. Nicholas
Vickle E. Lake
Florida State University

Learning strategies allow children to construct knowledge through active participation increase their motivation for reading and writing. The purpose of this action research is to explore the effectiveness of direct instruction with playful extensions in developing emergent literacy in a kindergarten classroom.

In direct instructions, students were divided into smaller groups according to their ability in literacy. The small groups then were engaged in fast paced instruction with strong emphasis on verbal responses for about 15-20 minutes. Schemata development and systematic approach that taught specific strategies for academic problem solving has proven to enhance success rate of students (Carnine, Silbert, & Kameenui, 1997). Evaluating emergent literacy research and direct instruction methods assists teachers in designing effective literacy programs. Closing the gap between young students’ literacy abilities and meeting their instructional and developmental needs become a formidable tasks even for senior teachers.

Materials and methods
The systematic approach of peer assisted learning strategies for First-Grade Readers (PALS) (Mathes, Grek, Howard, Allen & Babyak, 1999) was used in this research.

This research was conducted in a classroom of 15 to 20 kindergarten students during summer. It enables teachers to contemplate new teaching practices. There are five phases in this research; identify a problem area of investigations, collecting data, interpreting the data, implementing a plan, and analyzing the result.

Data collection and interpretation
Data collected using one-on-one evaluation conducted to assess students skills of alphabet recognition, letter-sound associations, sight word recognition, and specific stages of writing development. Assesment was discontinued after 5 words were missed. Writing skills were assessed using Five Stages of writing Development (Gentry, 1982) which are precommunicative, semiphonetic, phonetic, transitional and correct.

Pre-test result indicate that 15 student were ready to receive further instruction in applying letter sound associations to reading and writing skills. They are divided to form three groups (high, average and low) of five according to their ability.

Plan implementation
Teacher-directed lesson were conducted three times a week for three months. The period used for a lesson is 15 to 20 minutes. These direct instruction lessons were incorporated with the use of manipulative materials. There are five activities presented during the lesson; (1) letter-sound practice, (2) Phonological segmentation and blending, (3) More letter-sound practice, (4) sounding out and (5) reading words fast.

Result and discussion
The response varies among the three groups but they show growth in the three months of instruction.
The high and average made greater gain in sight vocabulary, while low group showed the greatest growth in identifying letter sound and increasing the number of correct spelling approximation in writing. The direct instruction approach was successful in meeting the children specific literacy skills. The students were working in their ‘zone of proximal development’ using self-scaffolding and other mediators such as puzzles, magnetic letters and dry erase board.

Implications to teachers
Teaching needs a wide variety of instructional methods. Assessment is needed to plan appropriate literacy instruction. Implementation of literacy programme is good for children to engage in multitude of “hands on” literacy activities and therefore creating a ‘joyful’ classroom environment for continued development of literacy.