Reading RULES in Kindergarten: Development of a Small-Group Intervention to Support Emergent Reading and Writing

During the initial development phase, the research team conducted a series of iterative testing activities to create RRK components that were practical for kindergarten teachers to implement in small-group settings and perceived as effective for students. RRK was designed to supplement, rather than replace, the core reading curriculum by offering additional targeted instruction for students who exhibited early signs of reading difficulties. Teachers tested each instructional component and provided feedback for revisions. The project experienced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this period allowed the team to explore how online features could enhance usability. In the next phase, a pilot study used a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the fully developed RRK program. Researchers screened kindergarten students at the beginning of the school year to identify those who did not meet expected literacy benchmarks. Teachers then implemented RRK in small groups, with ongoing support from the research team. In the final phase, researchers shared promising intervention components with educators and disseminated findings through publications and professional presentations. The researchers combined the final kindergarten intervention with the previously developed Grade 1-3 units resulting in a 78-unit, online curriculum renamed Accelerated Early Reading Outcomes (AERO; https://aeroreading.org/).