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Evaluating the Effects of Instructional Prompts and Strategic Incremental Rehearsal on the Letter Identification Mastery of Two Typically Developing Kindergarteners

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Abstract

Letter identification impacts the developmental progression of future reading skills. In this study, we evaluated the effects of instructional prompts on letter identification in a single-subject design for 2 kindergarten students who experienced difficulties with letter identification skills. In Phase 1, we evaluated the number of letters participants correctly identified without instructional prompts, and in Phase 2, we evaluated the effects of 2 different instructional prompts and rewards. Phase 3 evaluated the combined effects of strategic incremental rehearsal (SIR) and the most effective instructional prompt identified in Phase 2. Results showed that an effective, yet different instructional prompt was identified for each participant and that SIR plus an instructional prompt was effective for further increasing both participants’ correct letter identification. The results of this study demonstrated a useful and effective method for identifying instructional prompts, strategies, or other interventions that improve students’ academic responding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational, School & Counseling Psychology, University of Missouri, 16 Hill Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA

    Kristin L. Hathaway

  2. Stead Family Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Kelly M. Schieltz

  3. Department of Psychology, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA

    Jessica Detrick

Authors
  1. Kristin L. Hathaway
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  2. Kelly M. Schieltz
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  3. Jessica Detrick
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Correspondence to Kristin L. Hathaway.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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The first author completed this project as partial fulfillment of the MA requirements for a PhD degree in school psychology at the University of Missouri.

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Hathaway, K.L., Schieltz, K.M. & Detrick, J. Evaluating the Effects of Instructional Prompts and Strategic Incremental Rehearsal on the Letter Identification Mastery of Two Typically Developing Kindergarteners. Behav Analysis Practice 14, 20–35 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00456-5

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