Research Design
This research project investigated the use of iPads as an instructional tool to develop kindergarten students’ early reading subskills. In September 2013, all assessment tools were administered to all kindergarten students in the participating classroom. At the beginning of the school year, all families of the students in this classroom also completed a researcher-made technology survey and permission form to participate in this action research project (see Appendix E).
In the month of September 2013, the curriculum reviewed a letter of the alphabet each day. Students participated in whole group, small group, and independent learning activities to identify letter names, sounds, phonemic awareness skills, phonics skills, and high-frequency word identification. At the beginning of October 2013, the iPad was introduced to all of the students in the kindergarten classroom, as a learning tool for the reinforcement of the subskills previously taught. As recommended in earlier studies (Duke & Pearson, 2002; Pearson & Gallagher, 1983), a gradual release model was used to successfully teach young children to independently use this new technological tool. Students were introduced to a new application to practice early reading subskills every two days. On Day 1, a new app was introduced, and all students used it for 15 minutes. On the next day, students were allowed to choose any of the previously introduced apps to practice reading subskills for 15 minutes. Students engaged in this sequential introduction to 18 new apps and the practice of previously introduced apps for 10 weeks. The apps used for this study were from a selection of free apps offered by the iTunes store. The 18 chosen apps were selected based on user ratings and popularity, recommendations from the literature, and researcher-developed criteria (see Appendix F). All assessment tools were administered again to all kindergarten students after winter vacation, at the beginning of January 2014.
In the month of September 2013, the curriculum reviewed a letter of the alphabet each day. Students participated in whole group, small group, and independent learning activities to identify letter names, sounds, phonemic awareness skills, phonics skills, and high-frequency word identification. At the beginning of October 2013, the iPad was introduced to all of the students in the kindergarten classroom, as a learning tool for the reinforcement of the subskills previously taught. As recommended in earlier studies (Duke & Pearson, 2002; Pearson & Gallagher, 1983), a gradual release model was used to successfully teach young children to independently use this new technological tool. Students were introduced to a new application to practice early reading subskills every two days. On Day 1, a new app was introduced, and all students used it for 15 minutes. On the next day, students were allowed to choose any of the previously introduced apps to practice reading subskills for 15 minutes. Students engaged in this sequential introduction to 18 new apps and the practice of previously introduced apps for 10 weeks. The apps used for this study were from a selection of free apps offered by the iTunes store. The 18 chosen apps were selected based on user ratings and popularity, recommendations from the literature, and researcher-developed criteria (see Appendix F). All assessment tools were administered again to all kindergarten students after winter vacation, at the beginning of January 2014.