The Effects of a Phonologically Linked Kindergarten Writing Program on Letter-Sound Relationships

by Davis, Elizabeth L.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a phonologically linked kindergarten writing program on students’ abilities to spell and read consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words. The investigation utilized the CVC Spelling Assessment, the CVC Decoding Assessment, and a revised word list from the Woodcock Johnson III Diagnostic Reading Battery: Word Attack subtest. A review of students’ writing work samples allowed for comparisons to be made between spelling and decoding in isolation and for authentic purposes. The setting for this study involved two kindergarten classrooms in a northwest Ohio elementary school. Students were pre- and post-assessed over an eight-week period on their abilities to spell and read consonant-vowel-consonant words. Writing work samples were also collected before and after the implementation of the phonologically linked writing program. The results showed that the phonologically linked writing program is an effective method of spelling and reading instruction for kindergarten students.