A Meta-Analytic Synthesis of Early Numeracy Interventions for Low-Perfoming Young Children

Early numeracy is related to preschoolers’ acquisition of skills such as understanding and operating with quantities. Consequently, early numeracy has substantial impact on first Graders’ attainments in typical mathematics. Meta-analysis was conducted to address the extent in which early numeracy interventions are effective. Twenty studies were analyzed, including 3.080 young low-performing children (Ncontrol=1.815, Ntreatment=1.265). The overall best estimate for programs based on Early Numeracy Interventions odds ratio was moderately effective g=0.61 (95% CI=[0.44, 0.78]). Heterogeneity was large. Results of the final meta-regression model predicted larger treatment effects for short-term interventions including 1 to 9 sessions. On average, the interventions included instructional strategies such as Explicit Instruction (g=0.57), Corrective Feedback (g = 0.55), CRA (g =0.64), Concrete Manipulatives (g=0.60) Visual Representations (g=0.57) and one-to-one instructional arrangement g=0.79 are moderately effective for children aged 5-8. Results of the study are discussed with respect to implications for designing early numeracy interventions.

Cooperative Learning Groups in Reading: An Integration Strategy for Students with Autism and General Classroom Peers

A reversal design in two classrooms was used to examine the effects of Cooperative Learning Croups (CLCs) for three students with autism and their general education peers. Pretreatment reading instruction consisted of whole language, teacher-led activities including teacher-student discussion of vocabulary, story concepts, main ideas, and story-mapping with reading aloud by individual students. Intervention conditions consisted of continued teacher-led instruction plus supplemental CLCs including three activities: (a) peer tutoring on vocabulary words, (b) comprehension questions, and (c) academic games. Results demonstrated increased reading gains, academic engagement, and peer interaction during the supplemental CLG conditions. Results also provided documentation of the peer-mediated strategy as a viable instructional arrangement for the integration of students with autism in general education settings.

The Role of Small Group Instruction in Facilitating Observational and Incidental Learning

The present investigation examined the effectiveness of teaching sight-word reading in a small-group instructional arrangement to two groups of elementary-aged students with mild mental retardation. A multiple probe design across word sets was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the progressive time delay procedure and students’ acquisition of other students’ words (observational learning). In addition, students were assessed on their spelling of all sight words as well as their acquisition of word definitions although neither was taught directly (incidental learning). Results showed that (a) the delay procedure was effective in teaching all students their target words in near-errorless fashion, (b) all students learned other student’s words through observation, and (c) all students learned some incidental information by providing practice in spelling and by placing word definitions in feedback statements. Issues pertinent to small group instruction are discussed.