Reading Fluency Intervention Research Articles

Effects of Performance Criteria during Reading Instruction on Generalized Oral Reading Fluency

Although there is some evidence that setting performance criteria may improve oral reading fluency interventions, little is known about the generalized effects of these criteria. The present study trained two third‐grade students to three different fluency levels on instructional passages and assessed generalized performance in corresponding high word‐overlap passages within an alternating treatments design. Results indicated no discernable differences across experimental conditions. Follow‐up analyses revealed that generalized gains per trial were actually larger in lower criterion conditions, suggesting that performance criteria may not be as helpful as previously thought. The results are discussed in terms of the need to empirically investigate the number of instructional trials necessary to maximize instructional efficiency. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The quality of evidence in reading fluency intervention for Korean readers with reading difficulties and disabilities

This study aimed to provide information about the quality of the evidence on reading fluency instruction for at-risk students and students with reading/learning disabilities as a way to evaluate whether an instructional strategy is evidence-based and has potential for classroom use. An extensive search process with inclusion and exclusion criteria yielded a total of 18 studies to be included in the present study: 12 group design studies and six single-subject design studies. The quality indicators proposed by Gersten et al. (Except Child 71:149–164, 2005) and Horner et al. (Except Child 71:165–179, 2005) were applied to evaluate the quality of selected fluency intervention studies. Results revealed that (a) most group design studies provided little information about the intervention and agent for the comparison group, (b) internal and social validity were not clearly stated in single-subject design studies, and (c) procedural fidelity in assessment and intervention implementation was inadequately addressed in both group design and single-subject design studies. Lack of methodological rigor, which hampers determinations of the effectiveness of fluency instruction, the current status of intervention studies, and future directions are discussed.

Effect of the Reread-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend Intervention on the Reading Achievement of Middle and High School Readers Who are Deaf

Two studies were conducted to determine if the Reread-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend (RAAC) repeated reading fluency intervention is effective in improving the reading achievement of deaf middle school and high school students. Participants included six middle school students and eight high school students. We found consistently good comprehension during the interventions sessions and consistent improvement in ability to read fluently increasingly more difficult passages in both studies. We also found statistical and practical significance for pre- and post-tests on the Woodcock-Johnson for reading comprehension for the high school students but not for the middle school students and no statistical significance for reading fluency in either study.

Read Two Impress

AbstractThe authors describe a research‐based method to increase students’ reading fluency. The method is called Read Two Impress, which is derived from the Neurological Impress Method and the method of repeated readings. The authors provide step‐by‐step procedures to effectively implement the reading fluency intervention. Previous research indicates that Read Two Impress can significantly impact students’ reading fluency and overall reading achievement.

The Reading Fluency and Comprehension of Fifth- and Sixth-Grade Struggling Readers Across Brief Tests of Various Intervention Approaches

Although several different reading fluency intervention approaches appear promising for adolescents who are struggling readers, few studies have directly compared various approaches. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to determine the relative effects of word-oriented, fluency-oriented, comprehension-oriented, and multi-component interventions on the reading fluency performance of fifth and sixth grade struggling readers; and 2) to examine the concomitant effects of each intervention approach on comprehension. A within participant design, where all 29 participants received all interventions, was used. Outcomes were measured using instructional and transfer materials. The results provide support for a fluency-oriented and multi-component approach.

Comparing the Efficiency of Repeated Reading and Listening-While-Reading to Improve Fluency and Comprehension

An alternating treatments design was used to compare the effects of two reading fluency interventions on the oral reading fluency and maze accuracy of four fourth-grade students. Also, by taking into account time spent in intervention, the efficiency of the two interventions was compared. In the adult-mediated repeated reading (RR) condition, students read a grade-level passage aloud to an adult. The adult provided the students with error correction of oral reading miscues. In the listening-while-reading (LWR) condition, students read along aloud with audio recorded readings of passages using an MP3 player. The RR and LWR conditions had similar effects on reading fluency for three participants and the RR was more effective for one participant. When accounting for instructional time, the LWR condition was more efficient at improving reading fluency for three of the four participants. The same pattern of results was evident in Maze comprehension data. Discussion will emphasize the need to consider instructional time when selecting interventions.

Reading Together: A Successful Reading Fluency Intervention

The article describes a reading fluency intervention called Reading Together that combines the method of repeated readings (Samuels, 1979) and the Neurological Impress Method (Heckelman, 1969). Sixteen volunteers from various backgrounds were recruited and trained to deliver the Reading Together intervention to struggling readers in third through fifth grade. The differences on the outcome measures between the treatment (n = 29) and comparison (n = 23) were statistically significant. Thus, students in the treatment demonstrated increased reading expression, reading rate, and overall reading scores. Results suggest that Reading Together is a feasible method of increasing students’ reading proficiency and can be delivered by trained volunteers.

An Examination of Treatment Intensity with an Oral Reading Fluency Intervention: Do Intervention Duration and Student–Teacher Instructional Ratios Impact Intervention Effectiveness?

With an increasing percentage of schools moving toward approaches to data-based instructional problem-solving and early remediation of learning difficulties, the development and execution of intervention plans often warrants the pragmatic question: How intensive should an intervention be so that it is effective, while also feasible and time efficient to implement? In other words, educators must prudently balance treatment intensity, anticipated effectiveness, and available implementation resources. This study examined the effects of an evidence-based reading fluency intervention that included the same instructional components but was implemented with varying treatment durations and student–teacher ratios. Using an alternating-treatments design, four second-grade struggling readers received four treatment conditions (small group with ~14 min of intervention; small group with ~7 min of intervention; one on one with ~14 min of intervention; and one on one with ~7 min of intervention) and a no-intervention control condition. Using three data-analytic strategies and two dependent measures, overall findings suggested that all intervention conditions led to reading improvements but that (a) the longer intervention duration appeared more effective than the shorter duration, and (b) there was little difference in intervention effectiveness between the small-group and one-on-one conditions.

A Meta-Analysis of Reading Fluency Interventions for Students with Reading Difficulties using IRD Index

A Meta-Analysis of Reading Fluency Interventions for Students with Reading Difficulties using IRD Index

Improving Student Reading Through Parents' Implementation of a Structured Reading Program

.Parent tutoring offers potential as a means for assisting the large percentage of students who need to improve their reading skills. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a reading fluency intervention program when used by parents in the home during the summer months. Specifically, this study evaluated the effects of the Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies (HELPS) Program when implemented by parents with struggling readers. By use of a one-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design with the addition of two nonequivalent dependent variables, findings showed that students participating in the HELPS program significantly improved on four different measures of early reading, with effect sizes ranging from medium to large. Simultaneously, students did not show growth on nontargeted skills, as measured with the nonequivalent dependent variables. Parents also showed strong implementation integrity of the HELPS program and reported high acceptability. The implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed, including how the HELPS program may help to prevent summer learning loss.

A Preliminary Investigation of Evidence-Based Interventions to Increase Oral Reading Fluency in Children With Autism

At present, the incidence rates of children identified with autism spectrum disorders are on the rise, leading to an increased number of school-aged children needing specialized services in public schools. Most intervention efforts in the school setting focus on behavioral interventions and/or communication and social skills remediation services for children with autism spectrum disorders. Up to date, only sparse information is available regarding evidence-based academic interventions targeting reading fluency skills for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders. However, a wide variety of research has demonstrated that stimulus control interventions such as listening passage preview and repeated readings increase oral reading fluency in children with behavioral difficulties, learning disabilities, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The present study aimed to extend the research on reading fluency interventions to the autism spectrum disorder population. A single-subject withdrawal design was used to examine the effectiveness of listening passage preview and repeated readings on oral reading fluency in children on the autism spectrum. Results indicated that all participants increased their overall oral reading fluency, as evidenced by words correct per minute, during the listening passage preview and repeated readings interventions. The repeated readings intervention produced the greatest gains in words correct per minute for all four participants. Thus, the present study provides preliminary evidence for the use of academic, stimulus control interventions to increase oral reading fluency in children with high-functioning autism.

An Investigation of Student-Selected and Parent-Delivered Reading Interventions

In this study, we examined whether individualized, student-selected, parent-delivered reading interventions would produce generalized oral reading fluency improvements. Three 3rd-grade students received reading fluency interventions (repeated readings, modeling, error correction, and flashcard instruction) 1 at a time and were shown the results that each intervention produced. The students then selected the intervention strategies they wanted their parents to use. We trained parents in the student-selected reading intervention package who delivered the interventions for 4–5 weeks, and students were given the opportunity to earn rewards for generalized performance improvements at the end of each week in school. Using an alternating treatments design, results of parent tutoring were compared to a control condition that included a reinforcement contingency for generalized performance improvements to control for reinforcement effects across conditions. Generalized improvements in oral reading fluency (to high-word-overlap passages) were found for all participants. Results are discussed in terms of how educators can improve parent-tutoring outcomes by influencing students’ motivation to engage in tutoring procedures.

Effects of Small-Group and One-on-One Reading Fluency Interventions with Second Grade, Low-Performing Spanish Readers

This study compared children’s Spanish reading performance across 2 reading intervention conditions: small group versus individual (teacher–student). Six second-grade Costa Rican students with low Spanish reading ability participated in the study. An alternating-treatments design was used to compare the relative effectiveness of the 2 interventions to each other and to a no-intervention control condition. Results showed that nearly all students benefitted from 1 or both of the reading interventions. Findings are consistent with previous research with English readers and suggest that delivering fluency-based reading interventions with fidelity (such as those described in the current study) to Spanish readers may be an effective way to improve Spanish-speaking students’ reading skills. Results are also consistent with past research on the comparable effectiveness of delivering a reading-fluency intervention to a small group versus an individual. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of relative efficiency in the delivery of reading-fluency interventions, and with respect to educators in and out of the United States who work with students struggling with Spanish-reading fluency.

Comparison of a Reading Fluency Intervention With and Without Passage Repetition on Reading Achievement

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of a repeated reading and question generation intervention entitled Re-read-Adapt and Answer-Comprehend (RAAC) with a modified RAAC intervention without the repeated reading component. The sample included 30 students in Grades 3 through 5. The students received services in reading within a three-tiered response to intervention framework or in special education. Students were randomly assigned to the nonrepetitive condition or the control repeated reading condition and participated in 50 intervention sessions over a 4-month period. Regardless of condition, all students made gains in oral reading fluency on independent passages. The modified RAAC program without passage repetition appeared to be as effective if not more so at increasing reading fluency when compared to the RAAC program with passage repetition.

Improving Latino, English language learners' reading fluency: The effects of small‐group and one‐on‐one intervention

AbstractReading fluency is a critical yet commonly neglected component of early reading instruction. For the large percentage of English language learners (ELLs) who are struggling with or at risk for reading difficulties, there is insufficient research available to help educators implement time‐efficient interventions with these students. Using an experimental design common in field‐based research, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the differential effects of a one‐on‐one (1/1) and small‐group (SG) reading fluency intervention, both implemented with Spanish‐speaking ELLs. Using three forms of data‐analytic strategies (visual analysis, standard error of measurement, and randomization tests), results showed that nearly all students benefitted from the 1/1 intervention, and two students clearly benefitted from the SG intervention. Standardized reading assessments also demonstrated the positive impact of students receiving the interventions. Implications of these findings are primarily discussed with respect to school‐based practice. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

IMPROVING READING OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES: USING BRIEF EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS TO DEVELOP PARENT‐TUTORING INTERVENTIONS

The present study assessed the effects of summer parent tutoring on 3 children with learning disabilities using empirically derived reading interventions. Brief experimental analyses were used to identify customized reading fluency interventions. Parents were trained to use the intervention strategies with their children. Parents implemented the procedures during parent-tutoring sessions at home and results were measured continuously in high-word-overlap and low-word-overlap passages to determine whether generalization occurred. Parent and child satisfaction with the procedures was assessed. Results demonstrated generalized increases in reading fluency in both high-word-overlap and low-word-overlap passages as a function of parent tutoring. Also, acceptability ratings by children and their parents indicated that they viewed the interventions as acceptable and effective. Results are discussed in terms of structuring reading fluency interventions that promote generalization and maintenance of treatment effects.

A Preliminary Investigation of the Effects of Reading Fluency Interventions on Comprehension

Brief experimental analyses were conducted using two dependent variables to evaluate the effectiveness of reading interventions. Specifically reading rate (words read correctly per minute) and mean reading comprehension levels for six students with reading difficulties were obtained using six different reading intervention/intervention combinations. These interventions included contingent reinforcement, listening passage preview, repeated reading, listening passage preview with contingent reinforcement, repeated reading with contingent reinforcement, and repeated reading with listening passage preview. Results suggested that no one intervention was best for all students. In addition, it was found that interventions that increased reading rate for half of the students also increased reading comprehension for the same students. Discussion focuses on student-treatment interactions, measuring student reading performance, matching treatments to students, and directions for future research.

Assisting Low-Performing Readers with a Group-Based Reading Fluency Intervention

Nearly 40% of America’s fourth-grade students are below the basic level in reading. Creating opportunities for practice to build reading accuracy and speed (i.e., fluency) is an important link between word decoding and passage comprehension. The purpose of this study was to combine several empirically validated reading interventions into an instructional package that could be used with small groups of children to increase oral reading fluency. Effects of the instructional package were evaluated with 12 third-grade students using a multiple-baseline design across groups. Findings suggested that students read more words correct per minute on trained passages and completed maze comprehension passages with higher accuracy and fluency. In addition, students made statistically significant gains over time on nonpracticed passages of varying grade levels, on word lists containing both “trained” and untrained words, and on subtests from a commonly used standardized educational assessment tool. Implications for the use of a group-based intervention, limitations of the study, and directions for future research are discussed.

Using experimental analysis to identify reading fluency interventions: Connecting the dots.

This article reviews the conceptualization, measurement, and design of brief experimental analysis for oral reading fluency problems. It presents examples from the literature of how brief experimental analysis results have been used to generate effective treatments for a variety of different applications (e.g., parent tutoring, small group, selfmanaged interventions). It also describes three different approaches investigators have taken to conducting brief experimental analyses. Finally, the article describes a method for conducting a single trial brief experimental analysis that will allow practitioners to quickly and efficiently identify potential interventions designed to address skill and performance based oral reading fluency deficits. Limitations and areas where future research is needed are discussed.

REFINING THE EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF ACADEMIC SKILLS DEFICITS: PART I. AN INVESTIGATION OF VARIABLES THAT AFFECT GENERALIZED ORAL READING PERFORMANCE

Experimental analyses for improving reading fluency deficits have rarely targeted generalized increases in academic responding. As a consequence, the variables that may help students to generalize newly learned forms of academic responding like reading are not well understood. Furthermore, experimental analyses of reading fluency interventions have not systematically examined difficulty level as a variable that may affect instructional outcomes. The experiment reported in this paper expands (a) the measurement of the dependent variables to include generalized increases across tasks (reading passages) and (b) the combination of independent variables used to produce measurable generalized increases. The results demonstrate the importance of combining reward and instructional variables (including difficulty level) to produce generalized increases and how those variables can be meaningfully investigated prior to making treatment recommendations.