Addressing Literacy Needs of Struggling Spanish-Speaking First Graders: First-Year Results from a National Randomized Controlled Trial of Descubriendo La Lectura
Borman, Trisha H.; Borman, Geoffrey D.; Houghton, Scott; Park, So Jung; Zhu, Bo; Martin, Alejandra; Wilkinson-Flicker, Sidney (2019). AERA Open v5 n3 p1-14 Jul-Sep 2019. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED604084
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examining142Students, grade1
Single Study Review
Review Details
Reviewed: March 2023
- Single Study Review (findings for Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL))
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a randomized controlled trial with low attrition.
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 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) - total |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.09 |
-0.08 |
No |
-- | ||
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) - Vocabulary subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.19 |
-0.10 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) - Reading subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.07 |
-0.12 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) - language subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.09 |
-0.04 |
No |
-- | ||
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Instrumento de Observación (IDO) - Language total |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.47 |
-0.47 |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
Logramos - ELA Total |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.26 |
-0.29 |
Yes |
|
|
|
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Instrumento de Observación (IDO) - Text reading |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.52 |
-0.55 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Instrumento de Observación (IDO) - Writing Vocabulary |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.49 |
-0.51 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Instrumento de Observación (IDO) - Concepts About Print |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.44 |
-0.44 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Instrumento de Observación (IDO) - Letter Identification |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.29 |
-0.32 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Logramos - Reading subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.26 |
-0.28 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Instrumento de Observación (IDO) - Ohio Word Test |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.26 |
-0.27 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Logramos - Vocabulary subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.23 |
-0.24 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Logramos - Language subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.20 |
-0.20 |
Yes |
|
||
|
Instrumento de Observación (IDO) - Sounds in Words |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
0.16 |
-0.18 |
Yes |
|
||
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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100% English language learners -
Female: 45%
Male: 55% -
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Arizona, Illinois, Texas
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Race Other or unknown 100% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 99% Other or unknown 1% -
Eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch Free or reduced price lunch (FRPL) 82% No FRPL 18%
Study Details
Setting
The study was conducted in 22 elementary schools in 7 school districts across Arizona, Illinois, and Texas.
Study sample
The researchers randomly assigned 78 students to the intervention group and 74 students to the comparison group, for a total of 152 students. A total of 142 students in grade 1 from 22 elementary schools across 3 states (Arizona, Illinois, and Texas) were included in the study. All study participants were Spanish-speaking English learners identified as needing additional support in reading. Approximately 45% of the students were female, and 82% were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Almost all participants were Hispanic or Latino (99%).
Intervention Group
Descubriendo la Lectura (DLL) is a one-on-one tutoring program implemented in Spanish by trained bilingual teachers to Spanish-speaking students in grade 1 who are identified as needing additional support in reading. Students in the intervention group received DLL in addition to their regular bilingual instruction. Bilingual teachers implemented DLL for 30 minutes each day during the fall semester and used a highly structured set of activities for each lesson, including time spent on phonics. Students progressed through the intervention at their own pace, which took between 12 and 20 weeks.
Comparison Group
Students in the comparison group continued their regular bilingual instruction but did not receive one-on-one tutoring through the DLL program in the fall semester. Once data collection was completed, these students were eligible to receive DLL.
Support for implementation
To be certified as DLL teachers, the teachers had to (1) be certified bilingual teachers and (2) complete a one-year graduate-level course in DLL. They also received at least six professional development sessions during the school year when they were implementing the intervention.
Single Study Review
Review Details
Reviewed: April 2021
- Single Study Review (findings for Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL))
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Meets WWC standards without reservations because it is a randomized controlled trial with low attrition.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Instrumento de Observación (IDO) - concepts about print subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
|
|
Instrumento de Observación (IDO) - letter identification subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
|
|
Instrumento de Observación (IDO) - sounds in words subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
|
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) - vocabulary subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | |
|
Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) - reading subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | |
|
Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) - language subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- |
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Instrumento de Observación (IDO) - total |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
Logramos - total |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) - total |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
No |
-- | ||
| Show Supplemental Findings | |||||||||
|
Instrumento de Observacion - writing vocabulary subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
Logramos - reading subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
Instrumento de Observación (IDO) - Ohio Word Test subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
Logramos - vocabulary subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
Logramos - language subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
||
|
Outcome measure |
Comparison | Period | Sample |
Intervention mean |
Comparison mean |
Significant? |
Improvement index |
Evidence tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Instrumento de Observación (IDO) - text reading subtest |
Descubriendo La Lectura (DLL) vs. Business as usual |
0 Days |
Full sample;
|
N/A |
N/A |
Yes |
|
|
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.
-
100% English language learners -
Female: 45%
Male: 55% -
- B
- A
- C
- D
- E
- F
- G
- I
- H
- J
- K
- L
- P
- M
- N
- O
- Q
- R
- S
- V
- U
- T
- W
- X
- Z
- Y
- a
- h
- i
- b
- d
- e
- f
- c
- g
- j
- k
- l
- m
- n
- o
- p
- q
- r
- s
- t
- u
- v
- x
- w
- y
Arizona, Illinois, Texas
-
Race Other or unknown 100% -
Ethnicity Hispanic 99% Not Hispanic or Latino 1%
Study Details
Setting
The study was conducted in 22 elementary schools in seven school districts across Texas, Illinois, and Arizona.
Study sample
A total of 142 first-grade students were included in the study (73 in the intervention group and 69 in the comparison group). Students were eligible for participation because their home language was Spanish and they were among the lowest scoring 25% of students in their schools as determined by their score on a Spanish language diagnostic tool used to assess students’ literacy skills, the Instrumento de Observación. All students were English learners. Forty-five percent of students in the sample were female and almost all were Hispanic or Latino (99%). Eighty-two percent of students were eligible for free or reduced-price meal programs.
Intervention Group
Descubriendo la Lectura (DLL) is a one-on-one tutoring intervention implemented in Spanish by trained teachers. The goal of DLL is to improve the literacy skills of Spanish-speaking struggling readers. The intervention is implemented for 30 minutes each day and uses a highly structured set of activities for each lesson, including time spent on phonics. Students progress through the intervention at their own pace, which takes between 12 and 20 weeks.
Comparison Group
The comparison condition was business-as-usual for students in their schools.
Support for implementation
DLL teachers are supported through postgraduate training, mentoring from teacher leaders or DLL developers, and a minimum of six professional development sessions each year. DLL teachers monitor DLL students' progress daily and communicate with the classroom teacher to discuss students' progress and coordinate reading strategies.
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.
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Study findings for this report.
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