Abstract
This qualitative study examines the perspectives and efforts of Minnesota Reading Corps members and Master Coaches to help Early Language Learners become kindergarten ready.
Minnesota Reading Corps is a statewide initiative to help every Minnesota child become a successful reader by the end of third grade. The program places Reading Corps members as literacy tutors in sites across Minnesota to implement a research-based early-literacy effort to help struggling readers. The Reading Corps strategies are designed for both preschool-aged children and students from kindergarten to third grade students. This phenomenological study looks at the stories and captures the essence of the interviewees’ experiences with the program and their efforts to help English Language Learners overcome the barriers that they face in order to become kindergarten ready. The findings included participants feeling well supported and trained in order to understand and overcome major challenges that English Language Learners encounter. By using their training, participants were able to better support their classroom teachers, and provide individual attention to the students who need it.