WWC review of this study

Computer-Assisted Instruction to Prevent Early Reading Difficulties in Students at Risk for Dyslexia: Outcomes from Two Instructional Approaches [LiPS vs. business as usual]

Torgesen, Joseph K.; Wagner, Richard K.; Rashotte, Carol A.; Herron, Jeannine; Lindamood, Patricia (2010). Annals of Dyslexia, v60 n1 p40-56 . Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ891057

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
     examining 
    73
     Students
    , grade
    1

Reviewed: February 2023

At least one finding shows promising evidence of effectiveness
At least one statistically significant positive finding
Meets WWC standards without reservations
Encoding outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Developmental spelling test (Tangel & Blachman 1992)

Read, Write, and Type (RWT) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
73 students

25.00

23.40

Yes

 
 
21
 
Show Supplemental Findings

Wide Range Achievement Test - Revised (WRAT-R): Spelling Subtest

Read, Write, and Type (RWT) vs. Business as usual

1 Year

Full sample;
73 students

36.20

34.90

No

--
Word reading  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: Word Attack

Read, Write, and Type (RWT) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
73 students

108.30

99.50

Yes

 
 
24
 

Woodcock Reading Mastery Test - Revised: Word Identification

Read, Write, and Type (RWT) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
73 students

107.00

100.60

No

--

Test of Word Reading Efficiency-Phonemic Decoding Efficiency

Read, Write, and Type (RWT) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
73 students

12.60

10.60

No

--

Test of Word Reading Efficiency-Sight Word Efficiency

Read, Write, and Type (RWT) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
73 students

23.50

21.00

No

--
Show Supplemental Findings

Test of Word Reading Efficiency-Sight Word Efficiency

Read, Write, and Type (RWT) vs. Business as usual

1 Year

Full sample;
73 students

42.70

38.60

No

--

Woodcock Reading Mastery Test - Revised: Word Identification

Read, Write, and Type (RWT) vs. Business as usual

1 Year

Full sample;
73 students

103.80

99.80

No

--

Woodcock Reading Mastery Test - Revised: Word Attack

Read, Write, and Type (RWT) vs. Business as usual

1 Year

Full sample;
73 students

104.40

99.60

No

--

Test of Word Reading Efficiency-Phonemic Decoding Efficiency

Read, Write, and Type (RWT) vs. Business as usual

1 Year

Full sample;
73 students

22.60

20.20

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.

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    Florida

Setting

The study took place in Tallahassee, Florida.

Intervention Group

Teachers implemented the computer-based Read, Write, and Type program for groups of 3 students outside normal classroom time. Teachers introduced students to graphemes and phonemes and to proper typing techniques. Stu­dents completed computer activities on phonetic spelling and writing, and then practiced typing words with the phonemes the teacher had introduced. Students also read their own writing and the writing of other students. The inter­vention involved 50-minute sessions 4 times a week for a full school year.

Comparison Group

Teachers taught their regular lessons.

Reviewed: February 2023

At least one finding shows promising evidence of effectiveness
At least one statistically significant positive finding
Meets WWC standards without reservations
Phonology outcomes—Statistically significant positive effect found for the domain
Outcome
measure
Comparison Period Sample Intervention
mean
Comparison
mean
Significant? Improvement
    index
Evidence
tier

Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processes (CTOPP): Segmenting Words Subtest

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
74 students

15.60

11.70

Yes

 
 
32
 

CTOPP: Phoneme Elision subtest

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
74 students

15.72

12.50

Yes

 
 
25
 

Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP): Blending Words

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) vs. Business as usual

0 Days

Full sample;
74 students

20.60

18.20

Yes

 
 
18
 
Show Supplemental Findings

Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processes (CTOPP): Segmenting Words Subtest

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) vs. Business as usual

1 Year

Full sample;
74 students

16.10

14.20

No

--

CTOPP: Phoneme Elision subtest

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) vs. Business as usual

1 Year

Full sample;
74 students

17.40

15.70

No

--

Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP): Blending Words

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) vs. Business as usual

1 Year

Full sample;
74 students

22.70

21.60

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.

    • 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
    • x
    • w
    • y

    Florida

Setting

The study took place in Tallahas­see, Florida.

Intervention Group

Teachers led groups of 3 students through the computer-based Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program for Read­ing, Spelling, and Speech (LiPS®). Ses­sions occurred either outside reading instructional time or during time dedi­cated to small-group work in the typical reading classroom. Students learned how to articulate phonemes, used manipulatives to represent phonemes in words, used software that mimicked teachers’ instructional activities and provided feedback, and read text both on and off the computer. The intervention involved 50-minute sessions 4 times a week for a full school year.

Comparison Group

Teachers taught their regular les­sons during small-group time in their reading classes, and students had access to typical additional support from resource teachers.

Reviewed: June 2016

Meets WWC standards without reservations


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

Study sample characteristics were not reported.

Reviewed: November 2015

At least one finding shows promising evidence of effectiveness
At least one statistically significant positive finding
Meets WWC standards without reservations
Alphabetics 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 (WRMT-R): Word Attack subtest

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) vs. business as usual

posttest

Grade 1;
74 students

113.70

99.50

Yes

 
 
35
 

Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP): Segmenting Words subtest

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) vs. business as usual

posttest

Grade 1;
74 students

15.60

11.70

Yes

 
 
32
 

Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE): Phonemic Decoding Efficiency subtest

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) vs. business as usual

posttest

Grade 1;
74 students

16.80

10.60

Yes

 
 
29
 

Woodcock Reading Mastery Test- Revised (WRMT-R): Word Identification subtest

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) vs. business as usual

posttest

Grade 1;
74 students

110.60

100.60

Yes

 
 
26
 

Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP): Phoneme Elision subtest

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) vs. business as usual

posttest

Grade 1;
74 students

15.50

12.50

Yes

 
 
25
 

Developmental Spelling Analysis

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) vs. business as usual

posttest

Grade 1;
74 students

25.10

23.40

Yes

 
 
22
 

Test of Word Reading Efficiency (TOWRE): Sight Word Efficiency subtest

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) vs. business as usual

posttest

Grade 1;
74 students

26.90

21.00

Yes

 
 
20
 

Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP): Blending Words subtest

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) vs. business as usual

posttest

Grade 1;
74 students

20.60

18.20

Yes

 
 
18
 

Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP): Rapid Letter Naming subtest

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) vs. business as usual

posttest

Grade 1;
74 students

1.20

1.20

No

--
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 (WRMT-R)

Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing (LiPS) vs. business as usual

posttest

Grade 1;
74 students

102.20

95.40

Yes

 
 
21
 


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.


  • Male: 56%
  • Race
    Other or unknown
    33%

Setting

The study included students from three elementary schools.

Study sample

First-grade students were identified as potentially at risk of having difficulty reading using a two-stage process. First, a pool of potential candidates was identified based on low scores (bottom 35%) on a test of letter-sound knowledge. Second, study authors computed a probability of reading difficulty for each student, using logistic regression and based on a combined score from three tests that measured phoneme elision, serial naming of numbers, and vocabulary. Students with the highest probabilities of reading difficulty were eligible for inclusion in the study. In total, 112 students potentially at risk of reading difficulty were recruited to participate in the study over 2 consecutive school years. Across these 2 years, 36 students were randomly assigned to the LiPS® intervention group, 36 students were randomly assigned to another intervention (RWT), and 40 students were randomly assigned to the comparison group. The final study sample, after attrition, included 35 students in the LiPS® group, 34 students in the RWT group, and 39 students in the comparison group. The RWT condition does not factor into the intervention’s rating of effectiveness, as the comparison group’s use of a basal reader provided a more appropriate counterfactual to test the effectiveness of LiPS®; however, LiPS® vs. RWT contrasts are presented as supplemental findings in Appendix D. These supplemental findings in the comprehension, alphabetics, and reading fluency domains contrast an oral language approach used in the LiPS® intervention with an approach focused more heavily on spelling and writing in RWT. The supplemental findings do not factor into the intervention’s rating of effectiveness. About 56% of the total sample were male, 33% were minority (mostly African American), and about 35% received free or reduced-price lunch. The average age at the beginning of instruction was 6.5 years.

Intervention Group

The LiPS® program is designed to teach students the skills they need to decode and encode words and to identify individual sounds and blends in words. For this study, as a supplement to regular classroom reading instruction, students were instructed in groups of three, and received four 50-minute sessions per week throughout the school year (i.e., from October through May). On average, students received 84.5 hours of LiPS® instruction.

Comparison Group

Students in the comparison group did not receive any supplemental reading instruction. In two of the schools, the standard reading instruction was Open Court’s Collections for Young Scholars. The third school did not have a standard reading curriculum, but instead allowed teachers to choose their materials for reading instruction.

Outcome descriptions

Assessments were administered immediately following the delivery of the interventions in May of a given school year. Outcomes in the alphabetics domain were measured using the WRMT-R Word Attack and Word Identification subtests; the TOWRE Word Efficiency and Phonemic Decoding Efficiency subtests; the CTOPP Blending Words, Segmenting Words, Phoneme Elision, and Rapid Letter Naming subtests; and a developmental spelling analysis (Tangel & Blachman, 1992). Outcomes in the comprehension domain were measured using the WRMT-R Passage Comprehension subtest. The CTOPP Rapid Digit Naming subtest was excluded from this review, since it was out of scope of the Beginning Reading Protocol. Outcomes were also measured 1 year following the delivery of the intervention. Reading fluency was measured using the Gray Oral Reading Test–Third Edition (GORT-3) Text Reading Rate subtest. Alphabetics was measured using the WRMT-R, CTOPP, and the Wide Range Achievement Test–Revised (WRAT-R) Spelling subtest. Comprehension was measured using the WRMT-R Passage Comprehension subtest and the GORT-3 Comprehension subtest. These 1-year follow-up assessments are presented as supplemental findings in Appendix D. The supplemental findings do not factor into the intervention’s rating of effectiveness.

Support for implementation

Teachers received 18 hours of pre-service training in LiPS® at the beginning of each year. Biweekly 3-hour staff meetings were held with teachers to discuss instructional or behavioral issues in their classrooms. Supervisors with special expertise in the LiPS® program attended roughly half of these staff meetings.

In the case of multiple manuscripts that report on one study, the WWC selects one manuscript as the primary citation and lists other manuscripts that describe the study as additional sources.

  • Torgesen, Joseph K.; Wagner, Richard K.; Rashotte, Carol A.; Herron, Jeannine. (2018). Summary of Outcomes from First Grade Study with "Read, Write, and Type" and "Auditory Discrimination in Depth" Instruction and Software with At-Risk Children. FCRR Technical Report #2. Florida Center for Reading Research.

 

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