Creating an Adaptable Literacy Tutoring System for Elementary-Age Students in New York City Foster Care

The researchers present a case study of an ongoing literacy tutoring program for elementary-age students in foster care. The first two authors collaborated with the education program at The New York Foundling, and created a multi-component, data-based program modification to guide tutors to virtually assess and teach core literacy skills. The program combined explicit instruction, fluency building, and ongoing critique of student needs through formative assessments. Students in foster care face significant challenges and begin tutoring with complex stories. The researchers found that using a dynamic approach in tutoring allowed the majority of students in foster care enrolled to make growth in literacy skills during the COVID-19 pandemic. The experimental design was a single-group, pre-to-posttest design with intermittent, repeated measures. Tutors provided detailed responses to a usability survey to assist in better understanding the complex nature of working with this population. Future directions for the program and implications for working with this vulnerable population were discussed.