This paper presents evidence confirming the validity of the RD design in the Reading Recovery study by examining the ability of the RD design to replicate the 1st grade results observed in the original i3 RCT focused on short-term impacts. Over 1,800 schools participated in the RD study over all four cohort years. The RD design used cutoff-based…

Described here is a study on the efficacy of a media-rich curriculum based on the idea that children can learn best from "media synergy," that is, when children have opportunities to learn a focused set of skills by engaging in repeated practice with them in many different formats and media. Participants in this study were low-income…

Presents data from a family literacy program, called the Toyota Families for Learning Program, and compares it to data from programs that focus primarily on adults or on children, but not both. Discusses outcomes for adults, and outcomes for children, and finds results to be promising but not definitive. (SR)

A study compared and contrasted various early intervention reading programs, examining 12 early intervention programs in 10 school districts within 60 miles of the Denver metropolitan area. Programs selected were considered to be district-wide, had been in place for at least a year, had coordinators who agreed to be interviewed, were designed for…

We examined the effects of a three-tier strategic model of intensifying instruction using "Reading Mastery Plus" in grades K-3 at a Title I school. Teachers received training and coaching before and during the program evaluation. They were assessed on their satisfaction with the program as well. The "Diagnostic Indicators of Basic…

The purpose of this study was to examine theories of reading comprehension and instruction as they relate to instructional practices in the middle grades. Following an extensive review of literature in the theoretical areas upon which reading programs are normally based--reading, language, learning, and teaching--specific characteristics within…

Selections from the last three basal reading series produced by the Houghton Mifflin Company were examined to determine what improvements were made. One of the fundamental changes occurring in the 1971 revision ("Readers") was the replacement of grade designations with numerical levels that provided a better match between student and…

The reading achievement test performance of 180 sixth grade students in contrasting reading programs was examined. One program (Matteson) was an explicitly sequenced, behaviorally oriented skills program; the other (Scott Foresman) placed more emphasis on rich language experience and less emphasis on specific skill development. An…

Achievement gains of 78 fourth-grade students taught with an individualized approach using peer teaching were compared with gains of 64 fourth-grade students in another school who were taught with a basal-reader approach. Analysis of results from pretesting and posttesting with the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills indicated that the gains of the…

The two reading programs discussed in this paper, "Reading Unlimited" (RU) published by Scott Foresman and "New Primary Grades Reading Systems" (RS) by the University of Pittsburgh Learning Research and Development Center, provide maximal contrasts in materials and teaching strategies. The instructional strategies in RU are…

Children in the kindergarten and first grade classes at 14 London (Ontario) schools were selected to participate in a pilot project that compared procedures for the early identification and remediation of children likely to experience difficulty acquiring reading skills. Analysis of the results indicated that the six screening systems tested did…

A 3-YEAR EXPERIMENTAL PRIMARY-GRADE READING PROGRAM CONDUCTED WITH A 50 PERCENT REDUCTION OF READING CLASS SIZE WAS EVALUATED IN THE RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA, UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE YEARS 1962-1965. TEST SCORES WERE ANALYZED FOR 656 CHILDREN IN THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP WHO HAD 2 OR MORE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM AND FOR…

A study was conducted to determine if participation in a pre-first grade transactional program would be more effective than grade repetition in enhancing first grade readiness. The transition program emphasized the acquisition of academic and behavioral skills necessary for a successful first grade experience. Students in the program were trained…

As part of a larger evaluation of the Individually Guided Education (IGE) system in Wisconsin elementary schools, a comparative study was conducted of the effectiveness of reading instruction and the Wisconsin Design for Reading Skill Development (WDRSD) program in IGE and non-IGE settings. Data on students in grades five and two in 11 different…

To examine the effects of the language experience approach (LEA) on beginning reading achievement, a study analyzed five projects conducted as part of the United States Office of Education first grade studies and 32 additional studies comparing basal reading approaches to LEA. Using two methods of quantitative synthesis (vote-counting and…