A Comparison of Responsive Interventions on Kindergarteners’ Early Reading Achievement

• In Event: Research in Reading and Literacy SIG: Paper Session 2: Reading and Writing

Abstract

Findings of an intervention study comparing the effects of two types of supplemental early reading intervention that incorporated instructional modifications in response to at-risk kindergartners’ (N=90) reading performance. In both conditions, intervention was provided by classroom teachers for 30 minutes per day in small groups for approximately 100 sessions. Results of multilevel hierarchical linear analyses indicated no statistically significant group differences on any outcome measures. Between-group effect sizes revealed substantively important differences (What Works Clearinghouse, 2008) favoring the explicit/systematic program on measures of sound matching, nonsense word fluency, oral reading fluency, and written spelling. Overall, findings indicated that the majority of students in both types of responsive intervention groups made significant strides in reading achievement during the kindergarten year.

Authors

• Mary E. Little, University of Central Florida

• Deborah C. Simmons, Texas A&M University

• Michael D. Coyne, University of Connecticut

• Leslie Simmons, Texas A&M University

• Oiman Kwok, Texas A&M University - College Station

• Minjung Kim, Texas A&M University - College Station