A Case Study of Home Visits Conducted by Kindergarten Teachers in a Low-income Elementary School

The purpose of this single case study was to develop an in-depth description of the practice of home visits conducted by kindergarten teachers with students at the beginning of the school year in a suburban, low-income elementary school in North Carolina. The theory guiding this study was Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory of human development, as it states that important child development occurs in all environments where children interact. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews, mock letters of advice, and a focus group. The purposive sample included kindergarten teachers who conducted home visits, parents of kindergarteners who had a home visit conducted by their child’s kindergarten teacher, and Early Childhood Leaders in the district who have a vested interest in kindergarten teachers conducting home visits. I analyzed the data through coding and discovering themes. I sought to better understand the practice of kindergarten teachers conducting home visits that are used with kindergarteners by answering the following research questions: How do stakeholders describe the practices of kindergarten teachers conducting home visits in a suburban, low-income North Carolina elementary school? How is the building of relationships described when kindergarten teachers conduct home visits with students starting kindergarten? How is the home environment described when kindergarten teachers conduct home visits with students starting kindergarten? Results showed that the practice of kindergarten teachers conducting home visits is an enjoyable experience for all stakeholders, helps build genuine relationships, is a learning experience for the kindergarten teacher, and is impactful in different ways for each stakeholder