Effectiveness
EIR® was found to have potentially positive effects on alphabetics and comprehension.
Program Description
Early Intervention in Reading (EIR)® is a program designed to
provide extra instruction to groups of students at risk of failing to
learn to read. The program uses picture books to stress instruction
in phonemic awareness, phonics, and contextual analysis,
along with repeated reading and writing. In grades K, 1, and 2, the
program is based on whole-class instruction, with additional small
group instruction provided to struggling readers. In grades 3 and
4, the program consists of small group instruction for 20 minutes,
four days a week. Teachers are trained for nine months using workshops
and an Internet-based professional development program.
Research
One study of
EIR® meets What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) evidence standards. That study included 12 teachers and 59 students in first grade from one Midwestern state.
Based on this one study, the WWC considers the extent of evidence for EIR® to be small for alphabetics and comprehension. No studies that meet WWC evidence standards with or without reservations examined the effectiveness of EIR® in the fluency or general reading achievement domains.
