The myth of the foolproof script: can paraprofessionals effectively improve kindergarten student achievement using a scripted phonics program?

Abstract

This study examined the implementation of a scripted phonics program taught by paraprofessionals in kindergarten classrooms in a local school district. Two research questions were investigated: (a) Can paraprofessionals with no prior training in phonics effectively implement a scripted phonics program for struggling kindergartners? and (b) Did fidelity to the script predict higher student test scores at the end of the teaching cycle? After 96 observations, researchers found that paraprofessionals did not demonstrate fidelity to the script, often supplying students with erroneous phonetic examples, and that, overall, students’ phonemic knowledge scores did not correlate with fidelity to the scripted program.