Improving Kindergarten Students’ Knowledge by Enhancing Engagement in Literacy Centers

The action research was conducted in a kindergarten classroom with 18 participating students, in a Northern Midwest elementary school. Baseline data was collected by assessments in the areas of letter identification, onset sounds, rhyming, and concepts of print. Literacy centers were set up for students using differentiated activities in these areas. Conferencing with students and formative assessments were used for monitoring student progress and engagement in the literacy centers of Read to Self, Word Works, Writing Center and Listening Center. The students were assessed again at the end of the research period. The results of this study showed increased learning outcomes for students in the areas of letter identification, onset sounds, concepts of print, and rhyming. This study suggests that if students stay engaged in their literacy centers, they are likely to learn from their independent work at each center