The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) (2019) indicates that 65% of fourth graders in the U.S. do not show proficiency in reading. Given that reading skills in kindergarten and first grade have been demonstrated by many studies to be critical to students’ academic success and societal achievements, there is an urgent demand for interventions that effectively facilitate young children’s acquisition of reading skills. Recently, a study was conducted to examine the effect of a one-on-one high-dosage tutoring program, Chapter One, on kindergarten and first grade learners. Chapter One provides students who struggle to read with paraprofessional tutors who help them develop their literacy skills via digital applications. This study involved 185 kindergarten and first grade students in an Ohio Title 1 school, who were randomly assigned to the treatment group, who received both teacher instruction and Chapter One tutoring 2-3 times per week during school days, or the...

Language abilities in the early years have a long-lasting influence on children’s learning in school and later life. However, a considerable number of children enter school with weak language skills. Because e-books are increasingly considered an effective tool to narrow the gap, a meta-analysis published in the Educational Research Review investigated the effects of e-books on language support in early childhood education and care (ECEC). The meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of e-book reading in ECEC on children’s language development in comparison to two conditions: regular childcare without e-books, and print book reading in classrooms. After reviewing the studies published between 2000 and 2018 in English or German, the review identified 17 studies that met the inclusion criteria, such as involving at least 10 children, consisting of typically-developing and at-risk children (excluding children with developmental disorders), and using the society-spoken language (excluding a foreign language). Results indicated that e-book reading in...

Human beings possessed a remarkable ability to unconsciously detect and internalize statistical patterns of sensory input from the environment, such as frequency, variability, and co-occurrence probability. This ability, known as statistical learning which is believed to be related to language acquisition. Researchers have investigated the link between statistical learning and developmental dyslexia (DD), a difficulty in learning to read even with normal intelligence and schooling, however, the results were mixed. Lee and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis compared the differences in statistical learning ability between people with developmental dyslexia (DD) and their age-matched typically development (TD) counterpart and investigate various factors which may affect the extent of differences. One of the factors was the statistical learning task paradigm which included: Serial reaction time (SRT) task: to measure the reaction time to randomly and sequentially ordered stimuli. This is an implicit learning that participant becomes familiar with a repeated sequence from mere...

With the rapid development of modern technology and its extensive application in education, China seeks to popularize education technology in K-12 classrooms. A recent meta-analysis by Ni and colleagues provided insights into the impact of educational technology on English reading achievement for Chinese English second language learners (ESLs) and compared different instructional models. The meta-analysis included 35 eligible studies which targeted Chinese K-12 participants conducted from 2000 to 2020 in Greater China. Five learning models were classified in the study: The multimedia-transmission model (k=11) is a teacher-centred model using computer-assisted multimedia instruction (e.g., music, videos). The comprehensive model (k=8) incorporates technology into the core curriculum which integrates computer or mobile-assisted instruction into non-technology-based classroom activities. For example, using digital dictionary apps for a vocabulary memorizing competition in the class. Supplementary activities (k=5) involve supplementary learning activities performed outside the classroom. The integrated online-learning system (k=5) is a learning management system...

There is an accepted relationship between students’ oral language skills and their ability to master literacy skills in schools. The importance of developing oral language skills in the early years is important so that students can fully engage with instruction. However, to develop those skills, teachers must understand this relationship and support the development of oral language in their classrooms. One proposed approach to this is through professional learning that helps teachers develop new knowledge and beliefs as well as new pedagogy to address oral language development. A recent study by Goldfeld and colleagues tested whether the Classroom Promotion of Oral Language (CPOL) intervention, a teacher professional learning program focused on oral language in kindergarten and first grade, improved student literacy outcomes at the end of first and third grade. The study was conducted in Australia, in government and Catholic schools. A total of 36 schools were randomly assigned to...

Rapid automatized naming, the ability of an individual to name as quickly as possible a list of familiar visual stimuli, e.g., letters, digits, objects, or colors, has been found to be a significant predictor of literacy skills.  Chen and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the relationship between RAN and spelling accuracy (RAN-spelling) in alphabetic languages. In addition, the relationship between RAN and reading (RAN-Reading) was also examined. A total of 103 studies met the inclusion criteria, and a robust variance estimation approach, which takes into account non-independent effect sizes, was adopted in the analysis. Overall, mean effect size for RAN-spelling relation was r = 0.35 (95% predictive interval PI: 0.06- 0.66) and RAN-reading was r=0.44 (PI: 0.05- 0.71). Given the presence of significant heterogeneity for both relations, a series of moderator analyses was conducted. With respect to the RAN-spelling relation, the results below show the significant moderators: Word type:...

A recent randomized controlled trial (RCT) by Wolbers and colleagues evaluated the effect of Strategic and Interactive Writing Instruction (SIWI) on writing outcomes for children who are deaf or hard of hearing. SIWI, developed specifically for deaf learners, explicitly teaches the writing process, provides interactive and co-constructed writing opportunities, and helps learners develop metalinguistic and linguistic skills. The RCT included students in grades 3 through 5 randomly assigned to the treatment (n=43) or business as usual control condition (n=36). Participants were students from different educational environments across the country, including self-contained or pullout classes in public schools or schools for the deaf. Teachers in the treatment condition administered the writing intervention 2 hours per week for nine weeks. The study found that the treatment students outperformed the control students on writing to recount (ES=+3.32) and writing information (ES=+1.12). Additionally, treatment students were assessed nine weeks after the intervention period had...

Reading Rescue is a tutoring program for students struggling to read in first grade. The program is implemented in one-to-one sessions, 30 minutes per day, by teaching assistants trained to deliver the program. Lessons include fluency building, daily assessments, phonics instruction, sentence writing, and vocabulary development. A version of Reading Rescue to be delivered to groups of three students was developed through a collaboration between researchers and practitioners to make the program more cost effective and to be able to help more students. The study investigated which version, one-to-one or small group, was more effective in enhancing students’ early literacy skills. First graders in two cohorts were randomly assigned to receive Reading Rescue either one-to-one (n=63) or in a small-group (n=96), or to a control group (n=91) who continued with teacher regular practice. Both one-to-one and small groups received a total of 50 sessions five times a week. Early literacy...

Direct Instruction Spoken English (DISE) is a curriculum designed to teach English as a second language to students in grades 4 to 12. DISE integrates students with varying native languages and groups them by English language proficiency. DISE starts with the basics in vocabulary, pronunciation, comprehension, and syntax, and increases in complexity across all areas. Teachers provide frequent, explicit instruction and feedback. In a randomized, controlled evaluation, Chapparo and colleagues compared the effects of DISE on 6th and 7th grade English language learners with beginning-intermediate English language skills to a similar group who experienced business-as-usual second language instruction, looking at their performance at the end of one and two years. Twenty-nine schools in Texas, Oregon, and Washington were randomly assigned to DISE (n=14) or to a business-as-usual control condition (n=15). Experimental students received DISE 45-55 minutes a day, every other day, which is half the recommended amount. Control groups received...