An investigation of blended learning to support reading instruction in elementary schools

Paul Macaruso,Shani Wilkes,Jen Elise Prescott

doi:10.1007/s11423-020-09785-2

Abstract

Research is needed to address the possible benefits of blended learning as a form of reading instruction in elementary schools. Blended learning combines teacher-led instruction with digital technology. We had an opportunity to evaluate the effects of blended learning for students in kindergarten through fifth grade within a charter school network. Administrators in three schools chose to adopt a blended learning program during the 2016–2017 school year. There were 2217 students in the treatment schools. Treatment students were compared to 1504 students in three control schools where the standard form of instruction was maintained. Prior to implementation of blended learning, treatment students performed significantly below control students on a standardized reading test. At the end of the school year, treatment students showed greater gains on the reading test than control students and group differences disappeared. Further analyses revealed that reading gains were uniform across grades and ethnic categories. These outcomes point to the viability of using blended learning for reading instruction in elementary schools.

Highlights

When students fail to read proficiently as they reach the end of elementary school, they often face persistent struggles through the rest of their academic career, and such students have high attrition rates in high school (Fiester 2013)
In the first section below we provide descriptive statistics regarding student use of the digital component of Core5
The second section establishes the use of pretest RIT scores as a covariate in the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA)

Summary

Introduction

When students fail to read proficiently as they reach the end of elementary school, they often face persistent struggles through the rest of their academic career, and such students have high attrition rates in high school (Fiester 2013). According to a recent U.S government report, only 37% of fourth graders scored at or above a proficiency level on the National Assessment for Educational Proficiency (National Center for Education Statistics 2017). Reading outcomes for U.S students from low socioeconomic status (SES). Just 22% of these students scored at or above a proficiency level in fourth grade (National Center for Education Statistics 2017). Educators need to identify and promote the most effective forms of reading instruction in elementary schools, especially for students from low SES backgrounds

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion