Racing Against the Vocabulary Gap: Matthew Effects in Early Vocabulary Instruction and Intervention

We investigated whether individual differences in overall receptive vocabulary knowledge measured at the beginning of the year moderated the effects of a kindergarten vocabulary intervention that supplemented classroom vocabulary instruction. We also examined whether moderation would offset the bene...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inExceptional children Vol. 85; no. 2; pp. 163 - 179
Main Authors Coyne, Michael D., McCoach, D. Betsy, Ware, Sharon, Austin, Christy R., Loftus-Rattan, Susan M., Baker, Doris L.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.01.2019
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects
At Risk Students
Classrooms
Control Groups
Experimental Groups
Expressive Language
Individual Differences
Intelligence Tests
Kindergarten
Language Impairments
Learning Problems
Listening Comprehension
Listening Comprehension Tests
Measures (Individuals)
Pretests Posttests
Receptive Language
Reference Groups
Response to Intervention
Scores
Students
Teaching Methods
Verbal Ability
Vocabulary
Vocabulary Development
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Summary:We investigated whether individual differences in overall receptive vocabulary knowledge measured at the beginning of the year moderated the effects of a kindergarten vocabulary intervention that supplemented classroom vocabulary instruction. We also examined whether moderation would offset the benefits of providing Tier-2 vocabulary intervention within a multitiered-system-of-support (MTSS) or response-to-intervention framework. Participants included students from two previous studies identified as at risk for language and learning difficulties who were randomly assigned in clusters to receive small-group vocabulary intervention in addition to classroom vocabulary instruction (n = 825) or to receive classroom vocabulary instruction only (n = 781). A group of not-at-risk students (n = 741) who received classroom vocabulary instruction served as a reference group. Initial vocabulary knowledge measured at pretest moderated the impact of intervention on experimenter-developed measures of expressive vocabulary learning and listening comprehension favoring students with higher initial vocabulary knowledge. Tier-2 intervention substantially counteracted the Matthew effect for target word learning. Intervention effects on listening comprehension depended on students’ initial vocabulary knowledge. Implications present benefits and challenges of supporting vocabulary learning within an MTSS framework.
ISSN:0014-4029
2163-5560
DOI:10.1177/0014402918789162