Abstract
Purpose: This paper describes methodological procedures involving execution of a large-scale, multi-site longitudinal study of language and reading comprehension in young children. Researchers in the Language and Reading Research Consortium (LARRC) developed and implemented these procedures to ensure data integrity across multiple sites, schools, and grades. Specifically, major features of our approach, as well as lessons learned, are summarized in 10 steps essential for successful completion of a large-scale longitudinal investigation in early grades.Method: Over 5 years, children in preschool through third grade were administered a battery of 35 higher- and lower-level language, listening, and reading comprehension measures (RCM). Data were collected from children, their teachers, and their parents/guardians at four sites across the United States. Substantial and rigorous effort was aimed toward maintaining consistency in processes and data management across sites for children, assessors, and staff.Conclusion: With appropriate planning, flexibility, and communication strategies in place, LARRC developed and executed a successful multi-site longitudinal research study that will meet its goal of investigating the contribution and role of language skills in the development of children's listening and reading comprehension. Through dissemination of our design strategies and lessons learned, research teams embarking on similar endeavors can be better equipped to anticipate the challenges.
Highlights
Specialty section: This article was submitted to Developmental Psychology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Psychology
In 2010, the United States (U.S.) Department of Education Institute for Education Sciences (IES) embarked on a large-scale and rigorous initiative aimed at improving reading comprehension for all students
Recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data revealed that 33% of fourth-grade children and 25% of eighth-grade children cannot read at the basic level and cannot understand what they read (IES, 2009)
Summary
Flexibility, and communication strategies in place, LARRC developed and executed a successful multi-site longitudinal research study that will meet its goal of investigating the contribution and role of language skills in the development of children’s listening and reading comprehension. In 2010, the United States (U.S.) Department of Education Institute for Education Sciences (IES) embarked on a large-scale and rigorous initiative aimed at improving reading comprehension for all students. This investment, Reading for Understanding (RFU; see Douglas and Albro, 2014, for complete details), is one of the nation’s largest initiatives of its kind and is in response to evidence of continued poor academic performance among American children on such indicators as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). In response to the IES initiative, four core projects were charged with: (1) identifying underlying processes related to
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