WWC review of this study

Benefits of Repeated Reading Intervention for Low-Achieving Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Students [Quick Reads vs. business as usual]

Vadasy, Patricia F.; Sanders, Elizabeth A. (2008). Remedial and Special Education, v29 n4 p235-249. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ802169

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
     examining 
    119
     Students
    , grades
    4-5

Reviewed: September 2021

At least one finding shows promising evidence of effectiveness
At least one statistically significant positive finding
Meets WWC standards with reservations
Passage reading fluency-oral outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Oral Reading Fluency Rate: Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)

QuickReads vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
119 students

84.00

82.00

No

--
Reading Comprehension outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Woodcock Reading Mastery Test - Revised/Normative Update (WRMT-R/NU): Passage Comprehension subtest

QuickReads vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
119 students

92.00

88.00

Yes

 
 
19
 
Reading vocabulary outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Word Comprehension Subtest: Woodcock Reading Mastery Test-Revised/Normative Update

QuickReads vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
119 students

93.00

90.00

Yes

 
 
10
 
Word and pseudoword reading outcomes—Indeterminate effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Word Identification Subtest: Woodcock Reading Mastery Test-Revised/Normative Update

QuickReads vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
119 students

92.00

91.00

No

--

Sight Word Subtest: Test of Word Reading Efficiency

QuickReads vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
119 students

90.00

91.00

No

--


Evidence Tier rating based solely on this study. This intervention may achieve a higher tier when combined with the full body of evidence.

Characteristics of study sample as reported by study author.


  • 27% English language learners

  • Female: 54%
    Male: 46%

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    West
  • Race
    Asian
    9%
    Black
    40%
    Other or unknown
    27%
    White
    24%
  • Ethnicity
    Hispanic    
    13%
    Not Hispanic or Latino    
    87%

Setting

The study was conducted in a large northwestern city in the United States. The sample was drawn from 12 public elementary schools within the same district.

Study sample

This study included 4th- and 5th-grade students with poor reading skills. The sample was 9% Asian, 40% Black, 13% Hispanic, 24% White, and 14% mixed/other. Forty-six percent of the sample was male, and 27% were English language learners. Twenty-three percent of students were in special education, and 90% were low-income (Title 1).

Intervention Group

The study examined the effectiveness of a reading intervention for students struggling with reading. Students in the intervention condition received a supplemental reading fluency instruction called Quick Reads. Students were pulled out of the classroom in pairs to work with a tutor for 30 minutes a day, 4 days a week, for 20 weeks. Students participated in 57 tutoring sessions on average (resulting in 28.5 hours of intervention received, on average). Each tutoring session consisted of seven parts. First, students are introduced to new vocabulary they will encounter in the reading passages. Next, each student takes a turn reading the passage. Students re-read the passage two more times with the teacher. The fourth reading is timed to assess how many words the students can read in 1 minute. Next, the students answer two comprehension questions based on the passage. The teacher then reviews vocabulary from the previous passage. Students complete these steps again for a new reading passage. Reading passages consist of non-fiction science or social studies text.

Comparison Group

The control condition in this study was business-as-usual classroom instruction using the typical basal reading curriculum.

Support for implementation

Tutors attended an initial 4-hour training on reading fluency development and Quick Reads. The intervention was scripted. Tutors were visited weekly by coaches to support intervention delivery. A mid-year, 3-hour workshop was held to reinforce tutoring strategies and behavior management.

 

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