%0 Journal Article
%T Efficacy of a Word
%A Garrett J. Roberts
%A Jack M. Fletcher
%A Jeremy Miciak
%A Pat Taylor
%A Sharon Vaughn
%J Journal of Learning Disabilities
%@ 1538-4780
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0022219418775113
%X We examine the efficacy of an intervention to improve word reading and reading comprehension in fourth- and fifth-grade students with significant reading problems. Using a randomized control trial design, we compare the fourth- and fifth-grade reading outcomes of students with severe reading difficulties who were provided a researcher-developed treatment with reading outcomes of students in a business-as-usual (BAU) comparison condition. A total of 280 fourth- and fifth-grade students were randomly assigned within school in a 1:1 ratio to either the BAU comparison condition (n = 139) or the treatment condition (n = 141). Treatment students were provided small-group tutoring for 30 to 45 minutes for an average of 68 lessons (mean hours of instruction = 44.4, SD = 11.2). Treatment students performed statistically significantly higher than BAU students on a word reading measure (effect size [ES] = 0. 58) and a measure of reading fluency (ES = 0.46). Though not statistically significant, effect sizes for students in the treatment condition were consistently higher than BAU students for decoding measures (ES = 0.06, 0.08), and mixed for comprehension (ES = -0.02, 0.14)
%K comprehension
%K reading
%K elementary
%K age
%K efficacy
%K treatment
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022219418775113