The efficacy of a computer-adaptive reading program on grade 5 students’ reading achievement scores

Abstract

Reading in upper-elementary grades includes comprehending complex texts and learning disciplinary-specific vocabulary. This study aims to determine the effects of a computer-adaptive supplementary reading program on fifth-grade students’ reading achievement. Using propensity score matching to create equivalent groups of 450 students for both control and intervention groups (N = 900), a quasi-experimental design was employed to examine changes in fifth-grade students’ overall, comprehension, vocabulary, reading achievement scores who used this program as compared to those who did not. Students from eight school districts and 108 schools in a Southeastern state were matched based on demographics and initial reading ability, and the Title I status of their schools. Students in the intervention group received at least 30 min per week of supplemental computer-adaptive reading instruction between the months of September and May. Mean differences between pre- and post-test scores identified that students in the intervention group utilizing a computer adaptive reading curriculum had statistically significant higher gains than students in the control group on their overall reading, vocabulary, and reading comprehension scores with small effect sizes. The findings support the use of a supplemental computer adaptive reading program for improving overall reading and reading comprehension outcomes among these fifth-grade students.