Closing the Gap: Implementing a Literacy Intervention for At-Risk Kindergartners in Urban Schools

This article discusses the performance gap in literacy achievement among socially and economically backward students in urban schools and proposes a solution through the KELT program. The program focuses on oral language development and specialized tutoring for at-risk children. The study shows that children who took part in the program demonstrated improved levels of oral communication and showed higher levels of literacy than the other children.

Running head: CLOSING THE GAP
Closing the gap
Name of the student
Name of university

1CLOSING THE GAP
In the case of students in urban schools who belong to socially and economically
backward classes, there exists a very wide performance gap as far as literacy achievement is
concerned. This is because these special or high needs communities have more number of at risk
students. This is discussed in great details in the article titled, “Closing the Gap Early:
Implementing a Literacy Intervention for At-Risk Kindergartners in Urban Schools”.
When it comes to writing and reading skills, there is a gap in academic performance
which is usually evident as a lag or a deficit in oral language. In most high need communities,
there is a predominance of the native languages, which has led to a decreased phonological
awareness (MacDonald & Figueredo, 2010). As is well known, the oral skills of a child would
determine his or her academic performance in the long run. A child who lacks oral skills or faces
difficulties in oral communication in the early years, is bound to have reading difficulties later
on. As a result, several literacy initiatives are being implemented by schools and similar
organizations. For instance, the article studies a school in a district in Canada where a bilingual
half day program has been introduced for children. The main focal point of the article is the
KELT program which claims that a mentoring or a tutoring program would be most beneficial
for such children. The main issue is that children do not come to schools with required oral
communication and language skills, which get in the way of them becoming successful learners.
In the KELT program, each kindergarten tutor was provided with a specific curriculum, which
entailed an oral language developmental continuum and also a specialized program for at risk
children. The study provided in the article is based on a school in a district in Canada. As part of
the study, students enrolled in the program were studied along with others, who would be used
for comparison. Results of the study showed that children who took part in the program
demonstrated improved levels of oral communication and showed higher levels of literacy than

2CLOSING THE GAP
the other children. To critique the article, it can be said that the authors provide sufficient
evidence of an academic performance gap in the case of high risk children. Moreover, the
authors even provide a solution to the problem, which can be implemented in schools around the
globe. The information regarding this program would be shared with the Ministry of Education
and with schools in urban areas and districts. This would ensure that children in high risk
communities have access to the initiative. I believe that the KELT program or the solutions
proposed in the article can be used for early language literacy and development. It would
encourage the children to indulge in oral communication, enhance their reading skills and
inculcate a willingness to critically analyze what they learn. Such a program would be under the
guidance of a tutor, which would ensure that the students receive proper encouragement and
assistance, which would enable them to become more successful learners.
To conclude, it can be said that the research evidence in the article and the proposed
solution has practical implications because it may very well be implemented in a number of
schools, both in urban areas and in districts.

3CLOSING THE GAP
References:
MacDonald, C., & Figueredo, L. (2010). Closing the Gap Early: Implementing a Literacy
Intervention for At‐Risk Kindergartners in Urban Schools. The Reading Teacher, 63(5),
404-419.