Category: Language Development

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Language Development Primary School Education Programme Evaluation

Effective reading tutoring for struggling second and third graders

Recent NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) results illustrating disappointing reading proficiency levels in United States schools, and particularly amongst diverse and economically challenged school districts, push practitioners and researchers to continue efforts to identify effective models for supporting struggling students. A recent evaluation of the Tutoring with the Lightning Squad (Lightning Squad) reading tutoring program highlights the strong impact of small group tutoring by non-certified tutors.

Lightning Squad is a tutoring model developed by Success for All Foundation, employing college graduates without teacher certification, who are trained to work with small groups of students to create partnerships, facilitate engagement, and monitor and celebrate progress. Students engage in a structured cooperative learning program, working in pairs for 30 minutes each school day. The game-like software requires students to alternate roles as reader and peer coach to facilitate each other’s reading growth.

Lightning Squad was evaluated during the 2021-2022 school year with 23 elementary schools from a diverse southern California school district randomized into either small group or one-to-one tutoring interventions. In each school, 40 students were identified due to low performance. In the small group condition (12 schools), all students were assigned to be tutored in small groups. In the one-to-one condition (11 schools), the 10 students scoring lowest prior to assignment were assigned to be tutored. The remaining 30 students in the one-to-one schools served as a control group.

After implementation between October 2021 and April 2022, Lightning Squad showed a substantial and significant impact on the Woodcock Word Attack measure (ES = +0.18) for all Grade 2 and 3 students, but no significant impact was found on other measures of word and letter identification, passage comprehension. When narrowing the focus to examine students who received what was thought to be an adequate amount of tutoring (approximately 60 sessions), third graders demonstrated substantial effects (ES = +0.27) on the NWEA MAP test, as well as meaningful (but not statistically significant) increases on the Woodcock Passage Comprehension (ES = +0.17) and Word Attack (ES = +0.17) measures. It is important to note the likely impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on implementation of this study, as frequent prolonged student absences, tutor absences, and school schedule changes infringed on the opportunities for students to consistently and sufficiently receive tutoring support throughout the 2021-2022 school year.  Other researchers have found typical effects sizes reduced by half or more in studies conducted during this period.

Source (Open Access): Neitzel, A. J. (2024). An evaluation of tutoring with the lightning squad on the reading achievement of struggling readers in grades 2 and 3: Technical report. OSF. https://doi.org/10.35542/osf.io/yp2wr (Pre-print)… Read the rest

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Language Development Programme Evaluation Secondary School Education

Journey to literacy: Inside the ALFA Lab program for struggling students

ALFA (Accelerating Literacy for Adolescents) Lab offers a semester-long program for ninth-grade students grappling with reading difficulties. The curriculum comprises three units, focusing on fundamental questions, with sessions lasting 90 minutes, conducted over one or two days per week. Students engage in small team rotations through four stations, fostering both individual and collaborative work. The primary objective is to enhance reading motivation, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency through captivating materials. This pedagogical approach not only fosters stronger teacher-student connections but also empowers students to articulate their ideas more confidently.

A recent study employed a regression discontinuity design to assess the impact of one semester of ALFA Lab enrollment on ninth-grade student outcomes. Eligibility was determined based on pretest reading scores, with students scoring below a predefined threshold assigned to the ALFA Lab, while those above served as the comparison group. The study involved four schools, encompassing a total of 1378 students over three years.

The findings yielded positive impact estimates of ALFA on reading achievement (for ITT, ES = +0.11; for TOT, ES = +0.10), reading motivation (for ITT, ES = +0.11; for TOT, ES = +0.15), and reading frequency (for ITT, ES = +0.43; for TOT, ES = +0.51) at the threshold. Although these estimates lacked statistical significance, Bayesian posterior distributions strongly suggest positive effects (for reading achievement, +0.83 for ITT and +0.80 for TOT; for reading motivation, +0.79 for ITT and +0.85 for TOT; for reading frequency from +0.27 to +0.65 for ITT and from +0.42 and +1.09 for TOT). Moreover, the research offers suggestive evidence that the ALFA approach may be particularly beneficial for African American and Hispanic male students. However, strong causal conclusions about ALFA’s positive effectiveness cannot be drawn, as lack of statistical significance may be due to the study’s potential underpowered nature, likely exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, the ALFA Lab results appear promising for further exploration of its effects.

Source: Davis, M. H., Schoeneberger, J., Rhoads, C., Mac Iver, D. J., Zhang, X., Mac Iver, M., & Spinney, S. (2024). Accelerating Literacy for Adolescents (ALFA): Evaluating ALFA Lab Using a Regression Discontinuity Study. Journal of Research on Educational Effectiveness, 1–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/19345747.2024.2338129… Read the rest

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Kindergarten Language Development Primary School Education Programme Evaluation

One-on-one high-impact tutoring and early literacy

The National Student Support Accelerator released a report of a pilot study conducted by Stanford University researchers exploring the impact of a high-impact early literacy tutoring program called “Once” on kindergarten and first-grade students’ literacy outcomes. Once is designed to be implemented in 15-minute daily one-on-one literacy tutoring sessions during the school day, featuring structured lesson plans, weekly live coaching for tutors, and data to monitor student progress and adapt to their ongoing learning needs.

The study took place during the 2022-2023 school year in a large, urban school district on the East Coast with over 300 students who were identified as scoring below grade-level benchmarks in early literacy skills in 13 schools. A randomized controlled trial was used to assign eligible students to either Once tutoring provided by non-teaching staff (n=105) or a business-as-usual comparison group (n=199).

The findings indicated that students who received Once tutoring generally made larger gains on end-of-year DIBELS assessments compared to those who did not receive tutoring (effect size =+0.05), with more pronounced results among males and those who performed well below benchmark. However, these improvements were not statistically significant, partially due to the small analytic sample sizes and partially due to factors related to implementation. Treatment students received significantly fewer sessions than expected; instead of the targeted 140 sessions between November and June, students received an average of 42 sessions. The study highlighted that students with additional needs, such as those designated for Special Education or classified as English Learners, received more tutoring sessions on average.

Although the results point toward a positive impact of the Once program, the study suggests that larger-scale research is necessary to determine the statistical significance of these findings. It also offered insights into the benefits and challenges of using existing non-teaching staff to deliver high-impact tutoring.

Source (Open Access): Bennett, E., Lee, M., Loeb, S., & Robinson, C. (2024). Effects of high-impact tutoring on early literacy outcomes: A pilot study of a 1:1 program with existing staff. National Student Support Accelerator, Stanford Graduate School of Education.https://studentsupportaccelerator.org/sites/default/files/Effects%20of%20High-Impact%20Tutoring%20on%20Early%20Literacy%20Outcomes.pdf… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership Language Development Primary School Education

Improving elementary reading fluency in Brazil

The expansion of educational opportunities in developing nations has resulted in increased years of schooling, evident from significant rises in secondary education enrollment rates over the past decades. While access to education is clearly important, it is also crucial to focus on the quality of education. Low literacy rates remain an issue in many parts of the world and identifying effective ways to teach all students to read is essential for both individuals and societies at large.

In Brazil, only 45% of third-grade students demonstrated adequate reading skills on the 2016 national literacy assessment. A recent study by Gomes and Hirata, published in Education Economics, evaluated a program aimed at improving reading fluency among primary school students in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Students in grades 3-5 from 11 public schools were randomly assigned to receive the experimental reading program (n= 220) or to continue with their business-as-usual reading curriculum (n = 244). The program, lasting three months with three sessions per week, focused on techniques like repeated reading, group sessions, and individualized attention. A key feature of the program involved reading aloud with emphasis on modulation. Instructors frequently highlighted their modeling of intonation and rhythm, drawing students’ attention to these aspects.

Results indicated positive impacts on reading speed (ES = +0.14) and accuracy (ES = +0.16), yet no significant improvement in prosody (ES = +0.12) or reading comprehension (ES = +0.03). While the study punctuates the importance of prioritizing reading fluency, particularly in regions like Brazil where literacy levels are low despite increased access to schooling, it also highlights the challenges in achieving comprehensive improvements.

 

Source: Gomes, M., & Hirata, G. (2024). Developing reading fluency in primary school: Evidence from an RCT. Education Economics, 0(0), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/09645292.2024.2322535… Read the rest

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Effective Teaching Approach Language Development Maths and Science Learning Primary School Education

Can improving reading skills bolster math proficiency?

Prior research has shown that engagement with mathematics-related literature, such as books on numbers and geometry, can improve the corresponding math skills in young children. However, the impact of reading material not directly related to mathematics on primary school students remains less well-understood. A quasi-experimental study by Zhang and colleagues examined the effects of a math-unrelated reading intervention on the mathematical performance of second-grade students.

The study involved 134 participants from three second-grade classes at a public primary school in a town within Chongqing, China. The classes were randomly allocated to one of three groups: a math-unrelated reading intervention group (n=44), a math-related reading intervention group (n=45), and a control group (n=45). The same experimenter who was a graduate student administered both types of reading intervention, each with twice-weekly 40-45 minute sessions for 4 weeks supplementary to regular classes while control group attended classes as usual. Outcomes were measured by a standardised test (Chinese Children and Adolescents Mathematical Achievement Test) compiled by Beijing Normal University.

The reading materials for the intervention groups were picture books with text, with math-related books covering topics like probability and division, and non-mathematical books focusing on cognitive and social themes. An emphasis on vocabulary was common to both interventions, with instructors using various techniques to highlight key words and phrases. Techniques included putting words into sentences, linking the words with the contexts, using dramatic gestures, using voices, and changing speaking speed. Results indicated that:

  • Both reading intervention groups significantly outperformed the control group, with no differences between the math-related and unrelated conditions.
  • Gender, baseline math ability, and general cognition did not moderate these effects.

The authors posit that improving vocabulary and reading comprehension through either intervention may have enhanced mathematical performance, as the assessment involved word problems. However, limitations of research method preclude strong conclusions. Further research utilizing more rigorous methodologies could help clarify the mechanisms by which reading and math skills interact over developmental stages.

 

Source: Zhang, L., Jia, Y., Xue, X., & Wang, W. (2023). Can mathematics-unrelated reading intervention improve children’s mathematical performance? Educational Psychology, 43(10), 1144–1159. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2023.2285231.… Read the rest

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Educational Administration and Leadership Kindergarten Language Development Primary School Education

Dual language immersion: Unveiling early promising impact

Recent research has highlighted the significant benefits of early dual language education, incorporating both English and a target language from kindergarten onwards. This approach has been shown to significantly enhance academic achievement in upper elementary grades for both native English speakers and English learners, particularly in reading, English Language Arts, and math.

Morales’ recent brief report presents findings on the impact of dual language immersion (DLI) programs on early elementary students’ math and reading test scores. Using individual-level data from four cohorts of kindergarten and first-grade students who participated in DLI lotteries of two public school districts in metro Atlanta between 2016 and 2019, the study evaluated students’ test scores up to fourth grade to estimate the intent-to-treat (ITT) effects of DLI. Comparisons were drawn between those who gained access to DLI programs and those receiving monolingual education instead. The enrollment of at least one year in one of the 10 identified DLI programs (with Spanish, French or German as target languages) involved 1,423 students in the lottery, of whom 812 were randomly selected.

Overall, estimates from the sample show an increase in reading (ES=+0.12) and math test scores (ES=+0.14) for those with access to a dual language program. Further analyses indicated that the choice of target language (Spanish, French, or German) did not significantly impact the positive outcomes, and that improvements in both reading and math scores tended to increase over time. While these results should be interpreted with caution, they strongly suggest that the positive effects of bilingual education, evaluated in a context where dual language education is expanding, are realized gradually over time, and can be observed as early as first grade.

 

Source (Open Access): Morales, C. (2024). Dual language immersion programs and student achievement in early elementary grades. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737241228829… Read the rest