Implementing Visual Phonics With Hearing Kindergarteners At Risk for Reading Failure

Abstract

This study assessed the effects of See the Sound/Visual Phonics (STS/VP) on the phonemic awareness and letter-sound skills of Kindergarten students who were at risk for reading failure and who were not experiencing success in their general education classroom reading instruction. Participants were instructed in small groups (2–4 students) on specific unlearned prereading skills (i.e., letter-sound relations) previously instructed in their classroom. The authors used a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across participants and sounds to demonstrate the effectiveness of STS/VP in teaching letter-sound relations to participants. Data indicate that STS/VP can be used to effectively instruct at-risk Kindergarteners in letter-sound relations and that these skills can be maintained once instructed.