Journal Article

The Effectiveness of Reading Interventions for English Learners

Smith, Jeanie Mercier, Baker, Scott K., Baker, Doris L., Richards-Tutor, Catherine, Gersten, Russell

2016

Overview

This article reviews published experimental studies from 2000 to 2012 that evaluated the effects of providing reading interventions to English learners who were at risk for experiencing academic difficulties, including students with learning disabilities. Criteria included: (a) the study was published in a peer-referred journal, (b) the study was an intervention for English learners at risk or with a learning disability in Grades K–12, (c) data were disaggregated by English learner status if all participants were not English learners, and (d) information about fidelity of implementation was reported. Twelve studies met these criteria. Results of seven studies conducted in kindergarten and first grade indicated significant moderate-to-large effect sizes (ES range, 0.58–0.91) for interventions targeting beginning reading skills. Findings in five of the 12 studies suggested significant moderate-to-large effects in reading or listening comprehension (ES range, 0.47–2.34). The interventions in these studies included explicit instruction, and 10 used published intervention programs. Moderator variables, such as group size, minutes of intervention, and type of personnel delivering the intervention, were not significant predictors of outcomes.

• Publisher: SAGE Publications,Sage Publications Ltd. (UK),SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subject: At risk populations / Beginning reading / Comprehension / Control Groups / Criteria / Disability studies / Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) / Educational aspects / Effect Size / Electronic Libraries / Elementary School Students / Emergent Literacy / English as a second language / English as a second language learning / English Language Learners / English Learners / Fidelity / Gates MacGinitie Reading Tests / Grade 1 / Group size / Implementation / Intelligence Tests / Intervention / Kindergarten / Language Acquisition / Language proficiency / Learning Disabilities / Learning disabled / Learning outcomes / Listening Comprehension / Literature Reviews / Moderator variables / Noncitizens / Online Searching / Outcomes of Education / Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test / People with disabilities / Predictor Variables / Reading ability / Reading Comprehension / Reading Fluency / Reading Instruction / Reading Skills / Reading Tests / Social aspects / Standardized Tests / Students / Students with disabilities / Studies / Study and teaching / Teaching / Teaching Methods / Verbal Ability / Vocabulary / Woodcock Johnson Tests of Achievement / Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery / Woodcock Reading Mastery Test