A Synthesis of Read-Aloud Interventions on Early Reading Outcomes Among Preschool Through Third Graders at Risk for Reading Difficulties

A synthesis and meta-analysis of the extant research on the effects of storybook read-aloud interventions for children at risk for reading difficulties ages 3 to 8 is provided. A total of 29 studies met criteria for the synthesis, with 18 studies providing sufficient data for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Read-aloud instruction has been examined using dialogic reading; repeated reading of stories; story reading with limited questioning before, during, and/or after reading; computer-assisted story reading; and story reading with extended vocabulary activities. Significant, positive effects on children’s language, phonological awareness, print concepts, comprehension, and vocabulary outcomes were found. Despite the positive effects for read-aloud interventions, only a small amount of outcome variance was accounted for by intervention type.

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Out-of-School-Time Programs: A Meta-Analysis of Effects for At-Risk Students

Review of Educational Research ◽

10.3102/00346543076002275 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 76 (2) ◽

pp. 275-313 ◽

Cited By ~ 219

Author(s):

Patricia A. Lauer ◽

Motoko Akiba ◽

Stephanie B. Wilkerson ◽

Helen S. Apthorp ◽

David Snow ◽

...

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

At Risk Students ◽

After School ◽

Out Of School Time ◽

Positive Effects ◽

School Time ◽

Summer Schools ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Out Of School

Schools and districts are adopting out-of-school-time (OST) programs such as after-school programs and summer schools to supplement the education of low-achieving students. However, research has painted a mixed picture of their effectiveness. To clarify OST impacts, this synthesis examined research on OST programs for assisting at-risk students in reading and/or mathematics. Researchers analyzed 35 OST studies that employed control or comparison groups and met other inclusion criteria. Meta-analyses indicated small but statistically significant positive effects of OST on both reading and mathematics student achievement and larger positive effect sizes for programs with specific characteristics such as tutoring in reading. Whether the OST program took place after school or during the summer did not make a difference in effectiveness.

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Computer-assisted instruction to prevent early reading difficulties in students at risk for dyslexia: Outcomes from two instructional approaches

Annals of Dyslexia ◽

10.1007/s11881-009-0032-y ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 60 (1) ◽

pp. 40-56 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Joseph K. Torgesen ◽

Richard K. Wagner ◽

Carol A. Rashotte ◽

Jeannine Herron ◽

Patricia Lindamood

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Reading Difficulties ◽

Early Reading ◽

Computer Assisted Instruction ◽

Computer Assisted ◽

Instructional Approaches ◽

Students At Risk ◽

Assisted Instruction

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A Meta-Analysis of Non-Repetitive Reading Fluency Interventions for Students With Reading Difficulties

Remedial and Special Education ◽

10.1177/0741932519855058 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 074193251985505

Author(s):

Leah M. Zimmermann ◽

Deborah K. Reed ◽

Ariel M. Aloe

Keyword(s):

Reading Fluency ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Repeated Reading ◽

Reading Difficulties ◽

Weighted Average ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Robust Variance ◽

Analytic Review ◽

Fluency Instruction ◽

K 12

This meta-analytic review investigated non-repetitive reading fluency interventions for K-12 students with reading difficulties. Eight studies met inclusion criteria. The approaches were distinguished by their intervention structures; student groupings; and text difficulty, length, and genre. The overall multivariate weighted average standardized mean difference with robust variance yielded an improvement of less than 0.2 SD ( d = 0.176) for non-repetitive reading fluency interventions, but results were positive and statistically significant. The moderator analysis revealed that the effect on comprehension outcomes ( d = 0.239) was slightly larger than fluency outcomes ( d = 0.105), but differences between the magnitude of the two outcomes were not statistically significant. Moreover, there was no indication of concern for publication bias. Studies comparing repeated reading and non-repetitive reading fluency interventions produced reading outcomes similar in magnitude, with no significant differences. Results indicated that non-repetitive reading fluency instruction may be a feasible approach for students with reading difficulties.

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Reading Risk in Children With Speech Sound Disorder: Prevalence, Persistence, and Predictors

Journal of Speech Language and Hearing Research ◽

10.1044/2020_jslhr-20-00108 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 (11) ◽

pp. 3714-3726

Author(s):

Sherine R. Tambyraja ◽

Kelly Farquharson ◽

Laura Justice

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Sound Production ◽

Speech Therapy ◽

Speech Sound ◽

Reading Difficulties ◽

School Age Children ◽

Speech Sound Disorder ◽

Word Decoding ◽

School Year ◽

School Based

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which school-age children with speech sound disorder (SSD) exhibit concomitant reading difficulties and examine the extent to which phonological processing and speech production abilities are associated with increased likelihood of reading risks. Method Data were obtained from 120 kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade children who were in receipt of school-based speech therapy services. Children were categorized as being “at risk” for reading difficulties if standardized scores on a word decoding measure were 1 SD or more from the mean. The selected predictors of reading risk included children's rapid automatized naming ability, phonological awareness (PA), and accuracy of speech sound production. Results Descriptive results indicated that just over 25% of children receiving school-based speech therapy for an SSD exhibited concomitant deficits in word decoding and that those exhibiting risk at the beginning of the school year were likely to continue to be at risk at the end of the school year. Results from a hierarchical logistic regression suggested that, after accounting for children's age, general language abilities, and socioeconomic status, both PA and speech sound production abilities were significantly associated with the likelihood of being classified as at risk. Conclusions School-age children with SSD are at increased risk for reading difficulties that are likely to persist throughout an academic year. The severity of phonological deficits, reflected by PA and speech output, may be important indicators of subsequent reading problems.

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Discriminant Validation of the Test of Reading Performance (TORP) for Identifying Children at Risk of Reading Difficulties

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027//1015-5759.16.2.139 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 139-146 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Padeliadu Susana ◽

Georgios D. Sideridis

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Elementary School Students ◽

Reading Difficulties ◽

Reading Performance ◽

Low Achievers ◽

Children At Risk ◽

School Students ◽

Students At Risk ◽

Group A ◽

The Mean

Abstract This study investigated the discriminant validation of the Test of Reading Performance (TORP), a new scale designed to evaluate the reading performance of elementary-school students. The sample consisted of 181 elementary-school students drawn from public elementary schools in northern Greece using stratified random procedures. The TORP was hypothesized to measure six constructs, namely: “letter knowledge,” “phoneme blending,” “word identification,” “syntax,” “morphology,” and “passage comprehension.” Using standard deviations (SD) from the mean, three groups of students were formed as follows: A group of low achievers in reading (N = 9) including students who scored between -1 and -1.5 SD from the mean of the group. A group of students at risk of reading difficulties (N = 6) including students who scored between -1.5 and -2 SDs below the mean of the group. A group of students at risk of serious reading difficulties (N = 6) including students who scored -2 or more SDs below the mean of the group. The rest of the students (no risk, N = 122) comprised the fourth group. Using discriminant analyses it was evaluated how well the linear combination of the 15 variables that comprised the TORP could discriminate students of different reading ability. Results indicated that correct classification rates for low achievers, those at risk for reading problems, those at risk of serious reading problems, and the no-risk group were 89%, 100%, 83%, and 97%, respectively. Evidence for partial validation of the TORP was provided through the use of confirmatory factor analysis and indices of sensitivity and specificity. It is concluded that the TORP can be ut ilized for the identification of children at risk for low achievement in reading. Analysis of the misclassified cases indicated that increased variability might have been responsible for the existing misclassification. More research is needed to determine the discriminant validation of TORP with samples of children with specific reading disabilities.

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