Overview

Reading Mastery¹ is a direct instruction program designed to provide explicit, systematic instruction in English language reading. Reading Mastery is available in two versions, Reading Mastery Classic levels I and II (for use in grades K–3) and Reading Mastery Plus, an integrated reading-language program for grades K–6. The program begins by teaching phonemic awareness and sound-letter correspondence and moves into word and passage reading, vocabulary development, comprehension, and building oral reading fluency. Later lessons continue to emphasize accurate and fluent decoding while teaching students the skills necessary to read and comprehend and to learn from expository text. Lessons are designed to be fast-paced and interactive. Students are grouped by similar reading level, based on program placement tests. The program includes placement assessments and a continuous monitoring system. Although not designed exclusively for English language learners, Reading Mastery can be used with this group of students.

Research

One study of Reading Mastery met the WWC evidence standards.² This study included both English language learners and English speaking students in grades K–4 in Oregon. The investigators used the Reading Mastery program as a supplement to normal reading instruction for Spanish speaking students who were markedly behind expected reading achievement. The WWC reports only the outcomes pertaining to the English language learner subsample.

Effectiveness

Reading Mastery was found to have potentially positive effects on the reading achievement of English language learners.