Kindergarten Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies Research Articles

Differential Effects of Self-graphing on Self-monitoring of Early Literacy Outcomes in Kindergarten Students

The purpose of this study was to examine how an early literacy intervention, Kindergarten Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (K-PALS; Mathes et al. Kindergarten peer-assisted literacy strategies (K-PALS): Sopris West, 2001), can be intensified to extend the positive outcomes to students who do not initially demonstrate an adequate response to intervention. K-PALS was intensified by incorporating a self-monitoring package that included self-graphing. An alternating treatment design was used to compare the effectiveness of K-PALS with self-graphing alone and K-PALS with a self-monitoring package to baseline/K-PALS for the purpose of increasing student performance on the early literacy measure of phonemic awareness. The results of the study indicate that while the self-monitoring package was the more effective intervention for two of the three student participants, the self-graphing alone intervention also resulted in positive outcomes for both of these participants. There was no change in the phonemic awareness performance for the third participant throughout the alternating treatment phase. Implications for intensifying academic interventions within the context of a Response to Intervention framework are discussed.

Evidence-Based Practices in a Changing World

Experimental and quasi-experimental designs are used in educational research to establish causality and develop effective practices. These research designs rely on a counterfactual model that, in simple form, calls for a comparison between a treatment group and a control group. Developers of educational practices often assume that the population from which control groups are drawn is unchanging in its behavior or performance. This is not always the case. Populations and study samples can change over time—sometimes dramatically so. We illustrate this important point by presenting data from 5 randomized control trials of the efficacy of Kindergarten Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies, a supplemental, peer-mediated reading program. The studies were conducted across 9 years and involved 2,591 students. Findings demonstrate a dramatic increase in the performance of control students over time, and suggest the need for a more nuanced understanding of the counterfactual model and its role in establishing evidence-based practices.

Promoting Teachers' Use of Scientifically Based Instruction

In this study, a school district adopted Kindergarten Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (K-PALS), a scientifically based, class-wide peer-tutoring program for reading. Sixteen new K-PALS teachers were assigned randomly to receive ongoing support from a university expert or from experienced K-PALS teachers within the district. K-PALS teachers who received university support implemented K-PALS with somewhat higher (d = .41), but not reliably different, fidelity compared to those who received district support. K-PALS teachers' student reading outcomes did not differ significantly based on whether they received university or district support. However, K-PALS teachers' students reliably outperformed historical controls on beginning reading measures (d = .24 to 1.29). Implications for further research and for schools' adoption of K-PALS are discussed.

Integrating Classwide Early Literacy Intervention and Behavioral Supports

Kindergarten Peer Assisted Learning Strategies and directly teaching and reinforcing behavioral expectations are empirically supported interventions for building early literacy skills and increasing on-task behavior, respectively. Previous research has not investigated the application of both academic and behavior interventions simultaneously to prevent reading failure. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of KPALS with and without a classroom management strategy (CMS) consisting of posting and teaching classroom expectations and reinforcing them via a token economy for 20 kindergarten students from an urban elementary school in the northeastern United States. Results indicated an increase in the level of active engagement and teacher-directed instruction with the implementation of KPALS and CMS. Moreover, a clear improvement in students’ academic skills occurred with the addition of the CMS. Future research and practical implications are discussed.

The Effectiveness of Kindergarten Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies for Students with Disabilities

This study determined the effectiveness of Kindergarten Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (K-PALS) for students with disabilities. The researchers randomly assigned 89 kindergartners with individualized education programs (IEPs) from 47 classrooms to control (n = 9); K-PALS Level 1 (teachers received 1-day workshop; n = 19); or K-PALS Level 2 ( teachers received workshop plus booster sessions; n = 19). Multivariate analysis of covariance on posttest measures of beginning reading skills indicated that K-PALS students outperformed controls on alphabetic and oral reading measures, but that no reliable between-group differences were attributable to level of support. The researchers also discuss directions for further research and implications for implementing classroom-based reading interventions for students with disabilities.

Factors Contributing to Teachers’ Sustained Use of Kindergarten Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies

Factors were explored that predicted whether teachers sustained the use of a validated reading intervention. Seventy-three teachers from 37 schools in 3 states were asked in interviews whether they continued to use Kindergarten Peer Assisted Learning Strategies (KPALS) 1 year after their involvement in the program. A logistic regression model was created with teachers’ yes/no responses as the dependent variable and with predictors identified as important to sustainability. Findings were consonant with current theoretical models of sustainability. The logistic regression model captured many key elements of teachers’ decisions to sustain. Strongest predictors were teacher perceptions of the effectiveness of KPALS and degree of external technical support given them.

Scaling Up an Early Reading Program: Relationships Among Teacher Support, Fidelity of Implementation, and Student Performance Across Different Sites and Years

Successful implementation of evidence-based educational practices at scale is of great importance but has presented significant challenges. In this article, the authors address the following questions: How does the level of on-site technical assistance affect student outcomes? Do teachers’ fidelity of treatment implementation and their perceptions of school climate mediate effects on student performance? Using a randomized control trial at scale, the authors examine Kindergarten Peer Assisted Learning Strategies, which previously has been shown to be effective in increasing student reading achievement. Analyzing data from 2 years and three sites, the analyses show that the level of on-site technical support has significant effects on reading achievement gains, are robust across multiple sites, and are mediated by fidelity of implementation within teachers’ classrooms.

Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies: A “Tier 1” Approach to Promoting English Learners' Response to Intervention

This study determined the effectiveness of Kindergarten Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (K—PALS) for English Learners (ELs). We compared 20 K—PALS ELs to 20 Control ELs and to 20 K—PALS non-ELs on early reading skill acquisition, using a pretest—posttest control group design with matched samples. We also compared proportions of ELs unresponsive to K—PALS to ELs unresponsive to traditional instruction. Teachers implemented K—PALS 4 times per week for 18 weeks. Following intervention, analyses of covariance on posttest measures indicated that K—PALS ELs performed reliably higher than Control ELs on measures of phonemic awareness and letter sound recognition, and they performed similarly to K—PALS non-ELs. Findings are discussed in terms of K—PALS efficacy for ELs in a response-to-intervention framework.

The Effects of Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies on the Beginning Reading Skills of Young Children with Emotional or Behavioral Disorders

Students with emotional or behavioral disorders (E/BD) often exhibit reading problems that contribute to a progressive pattern of academic underachievement and school failure. However, limited research exists concerning effective reading interventions for students with E/BD. One reading program that has been validated in the literature with students who have learning disabilities (LD) is Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS), which consists of teacher-led and peer tutoring components. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of Kindergarten PALS (K-PALS) in increasing the beginning reading skills of kindergarten students identified as having E/BD. Results indicated that the peer tutoring phase of K-PALS led to increases in student scores on letter-sound correspondence and blending probes. Consistent with the literature on the efficacy of PALS with the LD population, these findings suggest that K-PALS is a promising approach in increasing the reading performance of students with E/BD who are at risk for reading failure.

Creating a Strong Foundation for Mathematics Learning with Kindergarten Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies

Creating a Strong Foundation for Mathematics Learning with Kindergarten Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies