Reading Outcomes For Students Research Articles

Teaching quality and student reading outcomes: Evidence from a longitudinal study from grade 5 to 7

The literature on the effects of teaching behavior on student competence and motivation has primarily focused on single teaching facets, with limited attention to multiple components simultaneously. To address this gap, this study examined a model of teaching and learning by investigating 10 teaching quality components reported by both students and teachers. The study used a sample of 3067 students in 150 schools in Germany and regressed reading competence and attitudes towards reading in grade 7 on these 10 variables. The study controlled for prior reading competence and attitudes towards reading in grade 5, as well as other student background characteristics, and estimated school-fixed effects. The results did not identify significant associations between the investigated teaching quality components and the reading competence and attitudes towards reading measures when considered simultaneously in one model, after taking into account previous competence and attitudes. The study discusses limitations and implications of these findings.

The quality of teaching behaviors in learning environments of DHH students.

Classrooms are complex learning environments, with instruction, climate, and teacher-student interactions playing important roles in students' academic progress. To investigate the learning environments of deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students, we developed a new observational tool called the Quality of the Learning Environment-DHH rating scale (QLE-DHH) and rated 98 teachers of DHH students being educated in a range of classroom environments. The present study sought to (1) determine if the items on the QLE-DHH are good indicators of theoretically meaningful dimensions of classroom quality; (2) determine to what extent these dimensions predicted language and reading outcomes of DHH students; and (3) examine how teachers of DHH students were rated on the indicators of classroom quality. The findings suggested that the QLE-DHH has excellent structural validity. Ratings predicted student reading outcomes. Finally, the QLE-DHH was able to capture teachers' strengths and skills in need of improvement. The QLE-DHH appears to hold promise for use in both research and teacher preparation programs.

Evaluating the Efficacy of a Narrative Language Intervention for Bilingual Students.

This study examines the narrative language and reading outcomes of monolingual and bilingual students who received instruction with the Supporting Knowledge in Language and Literacy (SKILL) program, a narrative language intervention. The main effects of the SKILL program were evaluated in a randomized controlled trial in which students (N = 355) who were at risk for English language and literacy difficulties were randomized to the SKILL intervention or a business-as-usual instruction. This article reports secondary analyses examining the efficacy of SKILL for bilingual (n = 148) and monolingual (n = 207) students who completed measures of oral and written narrative language and reading comprehension in English. Moderation results showed that the effects of SKILL did not differ for monolinguals and bilinguals across most narrative language measures and did not vary for monolinguals or bilinguals based on their pre-intervention language performance. These findings that suggest a language-based approach to improving narrative production and comprehension yielded similar results for monolinguals and bilinguals and that neither monolinguals nor bilinguals in this study needed to meet a certain threshold of English language proficiency to benefit from the intervention.

The footprint of the COVID-19 pandemic in reading performance of students in the U.S. with and without disabilities

BackgroundMany schools around the world involuntarily began remote learning in March of 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought immediate changes and challenges to teaching and learning that are likely to influence student achievement into the foreseeable future. While large numbers of students face difficulties in learning to read under typical conditions, remote learning resulted in substantial deficits in reading outcomes. AimsThis study aimed to examine the relative impact of the pandemic on reading performance in United States (U.S.) for students with and without disabilities. Methodsand procedure: In this interpretive analysis, we compared the progress of a large sample of students (n = 219,500) by using the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data, in two grade levels (Grades 4 and 8), with and without disabilities, at two time points (2019 and 2022). Outcomes and resultsStatistically significant decreases were identified on the reading outcomes of students in U.S. Students without disabilities experienced a significant decrease in their reading outcomes pre- and post-pandemic, compared to students with disabilities (SWDs). Conclusions and implicationsWe discuss the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ reading performance and the implications for effective reading instructions in the future.

Using fluency and comprehension instruction with struggling readers to improve student reading outcomes in English elementary schools

This study reports results from a randomized controlled trial of a reading intervention program in English elementary schools implemented during Covid19. Trained staff delivered targeted reading fluency and comprehension instruction to small groups of eligible children aged 7–9 for at least 12-weeks. Twelve schools from four English districts with high socio-economic disadvantage participated, with a sample of 186 children. Positive effect sizes of +0.26 on overall reading scores were observed, on an independently designed standardised reading test. A process evaluation assessed implementation fidelity. This intervention shows excellent promise as a technique to improve overall reading (mainly through enhancing sentence level reading comprehension).

Self‐Regulation and Reading Comprehension: Integrating and Aligning to Improve Reading Outcomes

AbstractTwo potential pathways for improving reading outcomes for students with reading disabilities are presented: (a) systematically integrating self‐regulation instructional practices within reading interventions and (b) aligning small‐group reading intervention with core reading instruction to reduce the pressure on the executive system. Two separate studies conducted with fourth grade students with significant reading difficulties, one related to integrating self‐regulation within a reading intervention and one related to aligning core instruction and reading intervention, are presented. Similar to many past high‐quality studies conducted with older students with reading disabilities, results revealed no statistically significant differences on commercially developed measures of reading comprehension. However, results on standardized measures of word reading and text reading fluency and researcher‐developed measures of vocabulary and text comprehension underscore the promise of these approaches and support the notion that considering self‐regulation in the context of reading instruction may be a productive conduit for supporting the needs of students with significant reading difficulties.

Effects of a Virtually Delivered Reading and Embedded Mindset Intervention on Reading Performance for Fourth-Grader Struggling Readers.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a virtual intensive reading intervention embedded with mindset training compared to typical reading instruction in a business-as-usual (BAU) condition delivered to fourth grade students with or at-risk for reading disabilities. After screening, the 59 participants were stratified and assigned randomly to condition. Highly trained interventionists delivered the intervention one-to-one with high fidelity and student engagement during the intensive intervention. Classroom teachers delivered the BAU. We examined the effects of the intervention on a variety of standardized timed and untimed measures of word reading and decoding, reading fluency, comprehension, and mindset. We addressed two research questions: What are the effects of intensive virtual reading intervention embedded with mindset training relative to a business-as-usual comparison (BAU) on the reading outcomes of fourth grade students with or at-risk for reading disabilities? Was initial mindset related to student response to intervention? Data analyses examined the main effect and moderation using linear mixed effects models. Significant differences in reading favored the virtual treatment condition for letter and word identification (g = 0.38). No other significant effects were observed. We note limitations in our study and offer directions for future research, including the need to explore additional moderators.

A Synthesis of Early Literacy Intervention Research Conducted in Africa for Students in Kindergarten through Third Grade

Literacy is essential to the development of any nation. Despite foreign aid to support education initiatives in Africa, high rates of illiteracy persist. This synthesis examined the extent to which early literacy intervention research has been conducted in Africa and the effects of these interventions on reading outcomes for students in kindergarten through third grade. Through an extensive search of published and unpublished research conducted in Africa between 1975 and 2019, 10 studies met inclusion criteria. Only four African countries were represented, with most studies being conducted in South Africa (k = 6). There was a wide range of effects (g = −0.88 to 6.98), with substantial variability in study methodology and intervention delivery. Findings from this review suggest that early literacy interventions are understudied in African countries and, as such, there is limited knowledge about the degree to which interventions with evidence of effectiveness are generalizable to these contexts.

The Efficacy of Two Models of Professional Development Mediated by Fidelity on Fourth Grade Student Reading Outcomes†

This study addressed the effects of Strategies for Teaching Reading, Information, and Vocabulary Effectively (STRIVE), a distributed professional development (PD) model designed to help teachers implement reading comprehension and vocabulary practices in fourth grade social studies classes. Schools (n = 81 schools, n = 235 teachers, n = 4,757 students) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: researcher-supported PD, school-supported PD, or business as usual (typical instruction). Findings revealed significant effects for both treatment conditions when compared to the business-as-usual condition for content knowledge (g = 0.51–0.55), vocabulary learning (g = 0.49) and reading comprehension in content (g = 0.16–0.26). Statistically significant effects were not observed for the Gates MacGinitie Reading Comprehension (g = 0.04–0.06), however, the effect size for the Gates MacGinitie Vocabulary test was statistically significant for the school-supported PD group (g = 0.03–0.07). Findings establish the efficacy of the STRIVE PD model on student reading outcomes and supports the efficacy of using more sustainable methods of PD that feature school supported follow up PD. Fidelity did not mediate any outcomes.

Socioeconomic Status and Reading Development: Moving from "Deficit" to "Adaptation" in Neurobiological Models of Experience-Dependent Learning.

Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is one of the strongest predictors of student reading outcomes, and these disparities have persisted for decades. Relatedly, two underlying skills that are required for successful reading-oral language and executive function (EF)-are also the two neurocognitive domains most affected by SES. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on how SES influences the neurobiology of language, EF, and their intersection, including the proximal factors that drive these relationships. We then consider the burgeoning evidence that SES systematically moderates certain brain-behavior relationships for language and EF, underscoring the importance of considering context in investigations of the neurobiological underpinnings of reading development. Finally, we discuss how disparities in reading may be conceptualized as neurobiological adaptations to adversity rather than deficit models. We conclude by suggesting that by harnessing children's stress-adapted relative strengths to support reading development, we may address opportunity gaps both ethically and efficaciously.

Teacher Professional Development and Student Reading in Middle and High School: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review investigates the effect of teacher professional development (TPD) on adolescent students’ reading achievement in middle and high school. A systematic search of TPD and student reading achievement studies (1975–2020) identified 15 medium-quality articles meeting this study’s inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis of 14 of these studies corrected by Hedges’ g showed that TPD on student reading was associated with a small overall effect of g = 0.062, p < .05 on student reading outcomes. However, the effect size was moderated by delivery of the TPD, TPD hours, student population, and assessment. None of the 14 studies reported TPD theory-driven quality indicators for TPD delivery (e.g., school support, use of technology, and promotion of self-reflection or reported measures of teacher change). Conclusion of findings in literacy TPD includes the need for TPD theory-driven studies.

Upper Elementary Teachers' Knowledge of Reading Comprehension, Classroom Practice, and Student's Performance in Reading Comprehension

ABSTRACTWhile the conceptual link between teachers' knowledge of reading‐related concepts and student reading outcomes is widely acknowledged in the field, few studies have empirically examined this correlation regarding student reading comprehension. Thus, the present study investigated the association between upper elementary teachers' (N = 103) knowledge of reading comprehension, classroom instruction, and students (N = 1871) reading comprehension scores. Using a series of Hierarchical Linear Models to control for the nested nature of the data, findings revealed a significant interaction between teacher knowledge and classroom instruction. Specifically, students provided with good to excellent instruction by teachers with high knowledge (i.e., 1 standard deviation [SD] above the mean) tended to score statistically significantly higher on measures of reading comprehension than students provided the same quality of instruction by teachers with low knowledge levels (1 SD below the mean), controlling for students' grade level and the percentage of schoolwide students participating in the free and reduced‐price school lunch program. These observed statistically significant associations were small to moderate in magnitude. These findings help validate theoretical accounts alluding to the critical role teachers' knowledge plays in moderating student reading outcomes.

Associations between teacher quality, instructional quality and student reading outcomes in Nordic PIRLS 2016 data

Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) focuses on the reading proficiency of students mostly in the fourth year of schooling. A wide selection of studies has shown that family background and early literacy activities at home have substantial associations with student achievement in reading literacy. However, research focusing on teacher qualities and teaching processes is inadequate. In this study, we focus on associations of teacher quality (formal qualifications and professional identity) and instructional quality (classroom management, cognitive activation and teacher support) with cognitive and affective-motivational student outcomes (variables Reading Achievement, Students Confident in Reading, and Students Like Reading). We analyzed PIRLS 2016 data from four Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden), consisting altogether of 923 teachers and 17,161 students. Using path analysis, we considered selected background variables from teacher and student questionnaires in relation to the outcomes. Overall, the associations of student outcomes with teacher quality and instruction quality were found to be weak in all the countries, and there was little variation between the countries. The strongest association observed in all countries was the positive relation between Teacher Support Perceived by Students and Students Like Reading. Further, a positive Working Atmosphere in the Classroom tended to promote Reading Achievement and Students Confident in Reading. Teacher’s Specialization in reading and the language of the test was positively associated with Teacher’s Self-Efficacy in teaching reading, which in turn was related to measures of instructional quality. The implications for practice are discussed.

Effectiveness of accelerated reader on children's reading outcomes: A meta-analytic review.

Accelerated reader (AR) is a computerized reading program commonly used in schools. The program aims to enhance students' reading achievement and encourage students to read more through goal setting and frequent reading practice. A meta-analytic review of the AR was conducted to analyse its effectiveness as an evidence-based intervention for improving student reading achievement, attitude, and motivation. This study investigated potential moderating variables, including publication type, participant, and study characteristics that impact student reading outcomes. A total of 44 studies from peer-reviewed journal articles and dissertations met the inclusion criteria. Participants included 16,653 students enrolled in elementary, middle, and high school. Hedges' g effect sizes measures suggest pretest-posttest one-group AR studies have moderate effects (g=0.541) while comparison group AR studies have marginal effects (g=0.278). A meta-regression model of six potential categorical moderators of comparison group studies indicted no significant moderators. Implications and the need for further research regarding evidence-based and culturally appropriate reading interventions are discussed.

Do teacher beliefs mediate the relationship between professional development and reading outcomes of students with emotional and behavioral disorders? An exploration of effects from a randomized controlled trial

Do teacher beliefs mediate the relationship between professional development and reading outcomes of students with emotional and behavioral disorders? An exploration of effects from a randomized controlled trial

Evidence-Based Reading Instruction for Students with Inattention: A Pilot Study

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by persistently high levels of inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity that interfere with functioning. Inattention is significantly related to lower reading outcomes, whereas hyperactivity/impulsivity alone is not. Strategies to Read Information Texts and Vocabulary Effectively (STRIVE) is a set of evidence-based instructional practices targeting vocabulary and reading comprehension in social studies classrooms. In this pilot study, we investigated the efficacy of STRIVE instruction on the reading outcomes of students with inattention. We included participants from a larger randomized control trial in Grade 4 ( N = 276) identified with high levels of inattention based on teacher referral and a brief ADHD measure. Reading outcomes were compared using ANCOVA, accounting for pre-test scores. Students in treatment conditions ( n = 181) significantly outperformed those in the comparison condition ( n = 95) on measures of content knowledge, content vocabulary, and content reading comprehension. There were no significant differences between conditions on standardized reading measures.

Understanding the academic achievement of the first- and second-generation immigrant students: a multi-level analysis of PISA 2018 data

The present study explores the antecedents of first- and second-generation (1G and 2G) immigrant students’ academic performance using PISA 2018 data. The study draws on an international sample of 11,582 students from 534 schools in 20 countries and focuses on PISA schools that catered to a mix of 1G and 2G students. The study explores the role that student attributes, student-perceived peer and parental support, school provisions, and school equity-oriented policies have on immigrant student academic achievement. The analysis involved specifying three separate stepwise multi-level regression models for mathematics, science, and reading achievement. Findings suggested that, at the within-school level, perceived parental support and teacher enthusiasm and the adaption of instruction were associated with improved academic performance, while student experience of bullying was associated with more substantive negative academic outcomes. At the between-school level, the opportunity to participate in creative extracurricular activities was associated with improved academic performance. In contrast, a higher proportion of 1G students and the overall perceived level of bullying of immigrant students were associated with substantively negative academic outcomes between schools. Tests of moderation effects suggested that parental emotional support appeared to be of particular relevance to 1G students’ math and reading outcomes, while enhanced SES status appeared to be specifically relevant to improved science and reading outcomes for 1G students. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Assessment of effective strategy instruction and reading comprehension

Reading comprehension is a critical skill for student success in school, the workplace, and daily life, yet many students display significant reading comprehension deficits. This article describes the impact effective strategy instruction can have on the reading outcomes of students with learning disabilities and related challenges. A discussion on the various methods (e.g., written retell, oral retell, comprehension questions) for assessing reading comprehension and examples of practical applications of reading comprehension assessments for classroom use are included.

Reading enhancements for students with autism spectrum disorder: A matched randomized pilot experimental study

BackgroundFor students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), improving reading comprehension is critical for increasing both their opportunities for successful postsecondary experiences including attending college and obtaining meaningful employment. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the effects of a multicomponent reading intervention on the vocabulary and reading outcomes of middle grade students with ASD. MethodWe conducted a matched randomized pilot experimental study for students with ASD in grades 3–8 (N = 28) identified by their district personnel as having reading difficulties (i.e., not passing state reading test). An independent researcher matched participants according to symptom severity and reading fluency and then randomly assigned a member of each pair to treatment or comparison condition. Participants in treatment condition were provided 1:1 instruction for 23–30 sessions (M = 27) of 30 min each four to five days per week. Instructional components included (a) vocabulary instruction; (b) fluency with text, and (c) reading comprehension. In this pilot study, data were analyzed using repeated measures multilevel models in HLM 7. Due to the associated low statistical power to detect effects, the small sample size, and the exploratory nature of the study, we selected an alpha level of 0.10. Data were modeled as student-level variables classifying students based on their ASD symptomology from mild (level 1) to severe (level 3). ResultsThe multicomponent intervention was associated with significant gains in WJ-PC scores of 22.62 (se = 8.19, df = 3, p = .070) for students at GARS severity level 1. Significant gains favoring the intervention were also detected on vocabulary score of 10.19 (se = 2.78, df = 3, p = .035) and for students rated at GARS severity level 1 and for students rated at GARS severity level 2 [vocabulary score 5.46 (se = 1.60, df = 3, p = .042)]. Significant effects were not detected for scores on a standardized measure of reading and fluency (TOSREC), and a researcher-developed measure of reading comprehension. ConclusionsThis pilot study shows enough promise to warrant future studies employing larger sample sizes and fully powered randomized control trial (RCT) studies. Although growth is modest and appears to be limited to participants who are in the mid to higher range of the autism spectrum, considering the large percentage of students with ASD in the mid to higher range, this study contributes to the development of evidence-based practices. We interpret the findings as having implications for future research with larger sample sizes and in providing initial guidance on instruction for consideration by practitioners.

Effects of Story Read‐Aloud Lessons on Literacy Development in the Early Grades: Experimental Evidence From Nigeria

ABSTRACTResearch has indicated that reading aloud to young students can enhance their foundational reading skills and their reading motivation, but such research has been lacking in African contexts. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of story read‐aloud lessons in improving students’ foundational reading skills in Nigeria. The experiment took place in a cluster randomized trial of 199 schools in Northern Nigeria. In treatment schools, second‐grade teachers conducted weekly read‐aloud lessons as an addition to the core learning curriculum. In control schools, second‐grade teachers implemented only the core curriculum, without weekly read‐aloud lessons. We found that story read‐alouds led to positive effects on listening comprehension, letter sound recognition, nonword decoding, and reading fluency, with effect sizes between 0.17 and 0.33 standard deviations. These outcomes suggest that enhanced student motivation from read‐alouds may enhance text‐based skills. To identify the effects of increased teacher experience on read‐aloud effectiveness, we employed a two‐period difference‐in‐differences approach. We found that increased teacher experience explained between 26% and 51% of the overall read‐aloud effect, depending on the literacy subskill. We also found that the read‐aloud effects coupled with increased teacher experience had an equalizing effect on the reading outcomes of students from divergent home literacy environments.