Effects of a Supplemental Vocabulary Program on Word Knowledge and Passage Comprehension
Apthorp, Helen; Randel, Bruce; Cherasaro, Trudy; Clark, Tedra; McKeown, Margaret; Beck, Isabel (2012). Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, v5 n2 p160-188 2012. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ961442
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examining2,803Students, gradesK-2
Practice Guide
Review Details
Reviewed: September 2023
- Practice Guide (findings for Elements of Reading Vocabulary)
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards with reservations because it is a randomized control trial with cluster level inferences and joiners, but it demonstrates baseline equivalence.
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Group Reading and Diagnostic Evaluation: Listening Comprehension |
Elements of Reading Vocabulary vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- |
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.
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Rural, Suburban
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South
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Race Other or unknown 100%
Study Details
Setting
The study took place in one southeastern state in 6 school districts, 3 rural and 3 suburban districts. The study includes 46 schools from the 6 different school districts. Two schools withdrew after random assignment.
Study sample
The authors do not present information on race, gender, or free/reduced price lunch status of the sample.
Intervention Group
Elements of Reading: Vocabulary focuses on teaching students to understand and use tier two words - those that are common in written material but not in verbal communication, and often are more subtle or complicated versions of simple concepts (e.g. abolish, chamber). Units are 5 days long, and begin on the first day with an introduction to the context and meaning of the word through a story, detailed explanations, and illustrated cards. In the following three days, students use the same group of words in different contexts. On the fifth day words were reviewed and assessed. Teachers were asked to use the program for 10-20 minutes a day, 5 days a week, as a supplement to their existing reading program. In the first year of the study, the intervention was used by the schools in one block beginning in November and the other blocks beginning in January; in the second year it was used throughout the year.
Comparison Group
Students in the comparison group experienced business as usual.
Support for implementation
Researchers conducted orientation sessions at the district level, and reading coaches conducted training for treatment teachers. Teachers implementing the intervention were provided with lesson plans and other program materials.
Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade
Review Details
Reviewed: June 2016
Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade Practice Guide- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards with reservations
This review may not reflect the full body of research evidence for this intervention.
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Findings
Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.
Sample Characteristics
Study sample characteristics were not reported.An indicator of the effect of the intervention, the improvement index can be interpreted as the expected change in percentile rank for an average comparison group student if that student had received the intervention.
For more, please see the WWC Glossary entry for improvement index.
An outcome is the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are attained as a result of an activity. An outcome measures is an instrument, device, or method that provides data on the outcome.
A finding that is included in the effectiveness rating. Excluded findings may include subgroups and subscales.
The sample on which the analysis was conducted.
The group to which the intervention group is compared, which may include a different intervention, business as usual, or no services.
The timing of the post-intervention outcome measure.
The number of students included in the analysis.
The mean score of students in the intervention group.
The mean score of students in the comparison group.
The WWC considers a finding to be statistically significant if the likelihood that the finding is due to chance alone, rather than a real difference, is less than five percent.
The WWC reviews studies for WWC products, Department of Education grant competitions, and IES performance measures.
The name and version of the document used to guide the review of the study.
The version of the WWC design standards used to guide the review of the study.
The result of the WWC assessment of the study. The rating is based on the strength of evidence of the effectiveness of the intervention. Studies are given a rating of Meets WWC Design Standards without Reservations, Meets WWC Design Standards with Reservations, or >Does Not Meet WWC Design Standards.
A related publication that was reviewed alongside the main study of interest.
Study findings for this report.
Based on the direction, magnitude, and statistical significance of the findings within a domain, the WWC characterizes the findings from a study as one of the following: statistically significant positive effects, substantively important positive effects, indeterminate effects, substantively important negative effects, and statistically significant negative effects. For more, please see the WWC Handbook.
The WWC may review studies for multiple purposes, including different reports and re-reviews using updated standards. Each WWC review of this study is listed in the dropdown. Details on any review may be accessed by making a selection from the drop down list.
Tier 1 Strong indicates strong evidence of effectiveness,
Tier 2 Moderate indicates moderate evidence of effectiveness, and
Tier 3 Promising indicates promising evidence of effectiveness,
as defined in the
non-regulatory guidance for ESSA
and the regulations for ED discretionary grants (EDGAR Part 77).