Current Evidence on the Effects of Intensive Early Reading Interventions

• Published in: Journal of learning disabilities Vol. 51; no. 6; pp. 612 - 624
• Main Authors: Wanzek, Jeanne, Stevens, Elizabeth A., Williams, Kelly J., Scammacca, Nancy, Vaughn, Sharon, Sargent, Katherine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.11.2018; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC; SAGE Publications and Hammill Institute on Disabilities
• Subjects: At risk populations; At Risk Students; Bias; Dyslexia - rehabilitation; Early Intervention; Early literacy; Early Reading; Educational Research; Effect Size; Elementary education; Elementary School Students; Group size; Humans; Instructional Effectiveness; Intensive treatment; Intervention; Kindergarten; Learning disabilities; Meta Analysis; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Outcomes of Education; Primary Education; Reading; Reading achievement; Reading Difficulties; Reading disabilities; Reading Improvement; Reading Instruction; Remedial Teaching - methods; Special education; Student Characteristics; Systematic review; elementary; reading; intervention; age
• ISSN: 0022-2194; 1538-4780; 1538-4780
• DOI: 10.1177/0022219418775110

Many students at risk for or identified with reading disabilities need intensive reading interventions. This meta-analysis provides an update to the Wanzek and Vaughn synthesis on intensive early reading interventions. Effects from 25 reading intervention studies are analyzed to examine the overall effect of intensive early reading interventions as well as relationships between intervention and student characteristics related to outcomes. The weighted mean effect size (ES) estimate (ES = 0.39), with a mean effect size adjusted for publication bias (ES = 0.28), both significantly different from zero, suggested intensive early reading interventions resulted in positive outcomes for early struggling readers in kindergarten through third grades. There was no statistically significant or meaningful heterogeneity in the study-wise effect sizes. Exploratory examination of time in intervention, instructional group size, initial reading achievement, and date of publication are provided.