Understanding Teachers' Literacy Instructional Practices in K–3 Classrooms During COVID-19

• In Event: Effective and Equitable Literacy Instruction

Abstract

This study examines literacy instructional practices during the COVID-19 pandemic by analyzing over 40 hours of video and more than 100 classroom artifacts from 26 K-3 teachers delivering virtual and hybrid instruction. The goal of our study was to understand (a) the focus of teachers’ literacy instructional practices; (b) how their implementation of these practices aligns with research on early grades literacy instruction; and (c) the range of children’s instructional experiences across classrooms both within and between school districts. Preliminary findings indicate that teachers implemented many research-supported instructional practices, although enactment of these practices looked different due to pandemic-related restrictions. The results of this study provide critical insights into the literacy instruction children received during the height of COVID-19.

Authors

• Tanya S. Wright, Michigan State University

• Lori Bruner, Michigan State University

• JoAnne M. West, Saginaw Valley State University