An Evaluation of the Paired Reading Program Using Competency-Based Training

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Paired Reading (PR) method using a competency-based training program with parents of children who are poor readers. PR consists of two phases: simultaneous and independent reading. The PR method focuses on parent modeling, practice, praise and a positive atmosphere. Fifty-two parents of second and third graders receiving Chapter 1 services and fourth graders who received Chapter 1 services in the year prior were recruited for this study. Participants were assigned to either the experimental (PR) condition where they were trained to use the PR Program through a competency-based training format or to a wait-list control condition. Twenty-four of the 26 parents in the PR condition participated in the training. Parents were asked to read with their child using the PR method five times a week, for 10 to 15 minutes, across eight weeks and to tape record their reading sessions. Seven of those 24 parents returned all eight audio recordings of the reading sessions. Eight participants returned no tapes and 9 subjects returned between one and seven tapes. Overall reading improvement based on reading accuracy, rate and comprehension was assessed in the children, using difference scores obtained on the Paragraph Reading subtest of the Gray Oral Reading Test-Diagnostic. Child and parent perceptions of the child's reading skills and reading habits were also assessed. Comparisons were made between participants in the trained PR and untrained control conditions. Significant attrition effected the analysis of the data and an intent-to-treat-analysis was conducted. Children in the PR condition did not improve more than children in the control condition on overall reading scores. The small subset of children who completed the program did, however, improve more in their overall reading scores than their matched controls. A post-hoc analysis indicated that second and third graders who were receiving Chapter 1 services in school improved significantly in their overall reading scores and that the fourth graders, who no longer were eligible for Chapter 1 services in their school, did not show improvement over the course of this study. Implications and future directions are discussed.