A Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effectiveness of Descubriendo la Lectura

• Published in: American educational research journal Vol. 57; no. 5; pp. 1995 - 2020
• Main Authors: Borman, Geoffrey D., Borman, Trisha H., Park, So Jung, Houghton, Scott
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.10.2020; American Educational Research Association
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Achievement Gains; Clinical trials; Comparative Analysis; Educational Quality; Elementary School Students; English as a second language; English Language Learners; Grade 1; Independent Study; Individualized Instruction; Instructional Effectiveness; Intervention; Learning; Learning outcomes; Literacy; Literacy Education; Native Language; Native Language Instruction; Outcomes of Education; Program Implementation; Reading Difficulties; Spanish; Spanish language; Spanish Speaking; Teaching Methods; literacy; Spanish; English language learners; randomized controlled trial
• ISSN: 0002-8312; 1935-1011
• DOI: 10.3102/0002831219890612

We present findings from a randomized controlled trial of Descubriendo la Lectura (DLL), an intervention designed to improve the literacy skills of Spanish-speaking first graders, who are struggling with reading. DLL offers one-on-one native language literacy instruction for 12 to 20 weeks to each school’s lowest performing first-graders. Examining literacy outcomes for 187 students, hierarchical linear model analyses revealed statistically significant effects of student-level assignment to DLL on all 9 outcomes evaluated. Impacts were as large as 1.24 standard deviations, or a learning advantage relative to controls exceeding a full school year of achievement growth. The mean effect size of d = 0.66 across the nine literacy measures is equal to approximately two thirds of the overall literacy growth that occurs across the first-grade year.