Students with dyslexia and related reading difficulties can benefit from explicit, systematic morphology instruction for decoding and understanding multisyllabic words. When studying morphemes, students learn to identify, spell, and define prefixes, suffixes, and roots, simultaneously addressing both word recognition and language comprehension.…

This case report describes a decoding intervention that was developed for and implemented with a 15-year-old female with significant word-level reading challenges. The intervention integrated multiple evidence-based approaches to improve decoding, including instruction in (a) phonemes-graphemes (sounds-symbols) that the participant did not know at…

This study takes a more holistic look at reading support, to explore what else is happening in this teaching and learning context, beyond the acquisition of a more secure knowledge of decoding skills. Children are deemed in need of a reading support intervention when their literacy skills are assessed as being significantly below the levels…

Educational technology is ubiquitous, and educational technology interventions often target literacy. However, there is insufficient information about the effects of these interventions on literacy outcomes in elementary school. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of quasi-experimental and experimental studies published…

Many second language (L2) students in Sweden struggle with reading in Swedish. There needs to be more research on how L2 students with weak word decoding skills in Swedish could be individually supported. Therefore, the current study examined the impact of a systematic and intensive word decoding intervention in Swedish among individual L2…

We report on a school-based randomized control trial study comparing two morphological interventions with untaught controls: one focusing on direct instruction targeting print morphological decoding (direct decoding condition) and the other on inquiry-focused pedagogy using oral morphological analysis (inquiry-analysis condition). We identified 63…

This paper summarizes three theoretically related experimental pilot studies conducted in developing a new intervention for students with word reading difficulties. Each independent experiment tested instructional elements influenced by perspectives on lexical quality, connectionism, and statistical learning. Intervention components that showed…

In many countries, children need to become proficient in both their home language (L1) and an international language, such as English (L2). Governments face tradeoffs in how to prioritize these two objectives. We provide empirical evidence on cross-linguistic transfer between L1 and L2, using the results of two randomized evaluations of Structured…

This study assessed the direct and indirect effects of Supporting Knowledge in Language and Literacy (SKILL), a narrative intervention designed to improve oral and written narrative abilities in school-age children with or at risk for language and reading disorders. We conducted a multisite randomized controlled trial with 357 students in Grades…

Fluent word recognition is an essential component of skilled reading, yet most children with reading difficulty have impaired word recognition. We developed and evaluated a web app, WordDriver, delivered via teletherapy, which targets phonological recoding to support orthographic learning and efficient word recognition. Participants were five…

Reading is a fundamental human capacity that recruits and tunes brain circuitry subserving several neurocognitive skills. Individual differences in reading-related skills are largely influenced by genetic variation. However, the molecular basis of the heritability of reading-related skills remains narrowly replicated. Genome-wide association…

Researchers disagree about the value of controlling the decodability of texts for students with reading difficulty, specifically what type of text they should read: "decodable texts" (words limited to taught patterns), "nondecodable" texts (those not limited by instruction), or "both." We analyzed the effects of…

Up until third grade, reading instruction is focused on learning to read, while in fourth grade and up, students begin reading to learn (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2024; Grunke et al., 2013). This reading with purpose includes increasing critical thinking skills and using newfound reading skills to understand complex subjects such as math and…

Vocabulary teaching has traditionally focused on word meanings to aid reading comprehension, however evidence also suggests that vocabulary knowledge influences phonemic awareness and word reading. Vocabulary instruction concentrating on the sound structure of new words alongside meaning (combined sound-meaning vocabulary instruction) improves…

Conceptual knowledge goal (CKG) is a typical component of outcome-based learning. However, the contribution of CKG to poor readers' reading comprehension development remains unclear. Following the suggestion of the Simple View of Reading theory for the poor reader category, the current study recruited 90 poor decoders (PD), 76 poor comprehenders…