Improving Academic Achievement and Engagement Using Hands-on Activities in Kindergarten Science

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.