| My goal was to increase student engagement and academic performance while decreasing disruptive behaviors through the implementation of an instructional game and design challenge. The participants included three students within a kindergarten integrated co-teaching classroom. One student is diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the other two display symptoms of ADHD or Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD). All three students lose focus during lessons, occasionally act out, and subsequently suffer academically. In the present study, I implemented lessons that each incorporated a read-aloud, a hands-on activity, a video, or a game. Student Engagement was tracked across all lessons and the findings support that students were more engaged during hands-on activities. During these activities, the students participated more frequently and required fewer reminders to focus. Most of the students within the participation group made academic growth (based on the pre- and post-assessments) by the end of the unit. |
